


Droplets: After Story

by thepudz



Series: Droplets [2]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Abusive Parents, Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Canon Non-Binary Character, Catra (She-Ra) Needs a Hug, Cooking, Depression, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/F, Family, Fluff, Graduation, Kid Fic, LGBTQ Themes, Marriage Proposal, Panic Attacks, Parenthood, Romance, Time Skips, Transphobia, University, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:15:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 59,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28238316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepudz/pseuds/thepudz
Summary: In the sequel to Droplets, four years have passed since Adora and Catra graduated from Bright Moon Academy, and the future rapidly approaches. The trauma Shadow Weaver brought about still sticks with Catra, and as distant friends discover their passions and careers, Catra feels left behind. But one thing from high school hasn't changed: Adora is still with her, and their love hasn't faded one bit.Growing up means marriage, work and a family, but Catra has no clue how she can deal with all this when the scars of her younger years still remain. As life throws everything it has at Catra, she wonders if she'll be able to stand against the test of time, or if she'll be swept away.A story of love, loss, and how one can face the future when their past chains them down so much...
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Series: Droplets [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2060643
Comments: 257
Kudos: 125





	1. Graduation

**Author's Note:**

> I actually didn't expect to have this story up so soon, but I really just couldn't wait any longer to get this out there!
> 
> Hello again! It's really so exciting to start another story, especially a sequel to my most popular story, Droplets! It's also a bit nerve-wracking, since I really don't want to let anyone down with this. This story will be more from Catra's POV, and it will be exploring very personal themes to me, as well as exploring current anxieties I’m having about life in general. However, the CatrAdora fluff will still be there! 
> 
> Before I start, I would just love to give a mention to someone who has drawn fanart for both Droplets AND my other modern AU story, Shared Happiness! gargoylette, who you can find on Instagram, has done a couple of amazing pieces of art for my stories with many more on the way, as well as fanart for shows like She-Ra and The Dragon Prince. They are seriously talented and passionate about their work, and currently have commissions open should you wish to have a piece of art done in their amazing style! I really recommend checking them out, they deserve a lot of love for their work!
> 
> Also a big thanks to reviewer Ansiia for their amazing fanart on Shared Happiness, as well as a Spotify playlist on the same story that I listen on an almost daily basis now! I really love seeing my stories come to life like this, it brings so much happiness to my soul!
> 
> Without further ado, let us begin another journey. Happy holidays, y'all!

Night turns to day.

The dark world fills with light as the sun rises on the horizon. Streetlights flick off, and an orange-pink hue swallows the sky. The chilly air fills with warmth. The cycle begins once more.

Alarms go off in bedrooms, and morning routines begin. For some, it will be a normal day like any other. For others, perhaps it might be busier than usual, or more laid-back. Perhaps some people would wish that this day wouldn’t start all.

But for a few people, this day would be special.

As the clock rolled to eight-thirty in the morning, sunlight began to pierce through the window into a dorm room on a university campus. The dorm was filled with posters, snacks, laundry, textbooks and notes. There was even a bit of equipment used in simple science experiments, such as a microscope on the desk next to the window.

And that sunlight was what woke Adora from her sleep.

She slowly flickered her eyes open, blinking rapidly against the direct sunlight. If this were a normal day, she’d be running late to lecture. She’d be scrambling to get dressed and get her notes ready. But today was not a normal day.

It was a special day.

Adora could hear the shower running as she sat up, looking around her dorm. A few bags were packed beside her bed, and her notes had mostly been scrapped into the small bin at the foot of her bed. A gentle song played from a speaker placed on her desk; the acoustic guitar soothed her ears and mind as she stretched her arms above her head.

She wore a sleeveless shirt and comfortable shorts, her usual bedwear. Sleeping in had never felt so good. She pulled her arm over her head, stretching out the cobwebs and tensing the muscles in her upper arm.

Next to her bed was her phone, the charger plugged into the bottom of it. It rested upon a few photographs. As she reached for her phone to check for whatever notifications she may have gathered overnight, she accidentally pulled a picture away from the desk. It slowly floated to the floor, face-down.

Adora reached for the picture, pinching it between her thumb and index finger as she turned it around. She smiled upon seeing it. The image was taken shortly after she moved into her new apartment. Boxes were strewn about and the floors looked bare.

And in the picture, laying on one of those boxes was her girlfriend, Catra.

Most of the pictures Adora kept were of her and Catra. Over the four years since they got together, they’ve slowly began to figure their lives out together. Adora managed to land herself in a four-year course at university. She had decided to study both history and education.

By the end of it all, Adora felt like she had enough skills to reach her dream job: a history teacher.

She placed the picture back on the desk. Four years of images couldn’t begin to capture the bond she felt for Catra, even after all this time. Even through the ups and downs, Adora never felt like she lost her love for her girlfriend.

Admittedly, she had been a bit sad about not being able to see Catra as much thanks to her course. She moved onto the campus during her second year since it helped in getting to her classes faster, as well as being able to study in a better area. It was a tough decision to make, but Catra’s encouragement was all she needed to make her choice.

She visited Catra as much as she could, which was easy enough given the short distance between the university and her apartment. But between her busy course, and Catra’s job at the factory, Adora had found that she hadn’t been able to see Catra as much as she liked.

But even through it all, she still texted Catra daily. And they were excited for this day most of all.

As Adora caught up on social media through her phone, she soon heard the shower cut in the bathroom. Eventually, Adora’s roommate emerged, a towel wrapped around their body. Adora looked up from phone. “Morning, Entrapta,” Adora smiled.

“Hi!” Entrapta greeted back in her usual excitable tone. “Oh, aren’t you just excited for graduation today?!”

“Yeah, I am,” Adora replied as she went over to her wardrobe, picking out a few clothes to wear. She’d ultimately be wearing her graduate robe during the ceremony, but it was nice to be comfortable until then. “I’ve got my girlfriend coming down to see me. I’m just glad I’ll be able to move back in with her after all this.”

“Oh… Am I not a good roommate?” Entrapta asked. Adora took off her sleeveless shirt, slowly replacing it with a red t-shirt.

“Entrapta…” Adora grabbed out some denim pants. “If I could, I would totally ask you to move in with me. I’m seriously going to miss you.”

“Oh, I wish I could! Your residence has so much room for experimentation and equipment!” Entrapta beamed at the idea as she changed into some clothes as well. “Plus, the company is nice. I’ve only met Catra a few times, but she seems cool.”

“Yeah, I think she’s alright,” Adora responded with a smirk. “But look on the bright side. With me gone, you have my half of the room to do… whatever it is you do!”

“Oh, I’ve already planned out how I’m going to tinker with the layout of the room!” Entrapta replied, reaching under her bed to pull out her large notebook. She flipped it open to a double-page that detailed how the room would look. Sporadic drawings and notes cluttered the page, and Adora noticed that her bed would be repurposed as a table for tiny snacks.

“You know, I think that’s what I’m going to miss most,” Adora said. “Your mind and your energy are everything I need, especially when I can barely slog through a day of classes. Just knowing I have you waiting for me in the dorm is enough to get me through some days.”

“You really mean that?” Entrapta asked, and Adora nodded. Entrapta couldn’t help but put on a gentle smile as she sat on her bed. “That… That really means a lot, Adora. I’m always afraid that I’m just bugging you or being annoying…”

“Nah, not at all. If anything, I just wish I could keep up with how brilliant you are,” Adora complimented. “I feel like I’m the one who bugs you, since I can barely process half the concepts you talk to me about. I’ve… never been good with scientific stuff.”

“Just having someone who listens and is genuinely interested is enough for me,” Entrapta replied. “Now I’m going to need find someone else who’ll participate in my tests…”

“What about that lab partner you had in your last assessment?” Adora asked.

“Hordak?” Entrapta’s eyes widened at the mention of him. “I suppose… He did take an interest in my work…”

“See? I think you’ll be alright without me here,” Adora said. “Worst comes to worst, Catra and I can just adopt you.”

“I’m only a year younger than you!” Entrapta said, and Adora could only chuckle as she checked her phone once more. She went to her messages, and let out an annoyed sigh. “Is everything alright?” Entrapta asked the irked Adora.

“Yeah… I thought Catra would be awake by now but I guess she missed her alarm. She isn’t responding to my texts,” Adora explained.

“Isn’t your ceremony in half an hour?” Entrapta pointed out. “She might be cutting it a bit close if she’s still asleep.”

“That’s exactly my thinking. I can’t exactly go to the apartment and wake her… I just hope she doesn’t miss it because she slept in. She’d kick herself for that,” Adora sighed as she pocketed her phone. “I’ll just have to trust that she’ll make it. I’ll see you after the ceremony, alright?”

“Will do! I promise I won’t go poking around your bags! As tempting as that may be…” Entrapta’s curious eyes directed towards Adora’s luggage, but Adora trusted her roommate enough to steal anything. Entrapta had never stolen anything from Adora.

Borrowing things on the other hand…

As Adora made her way to prepare for the ceremony, she couldn’t help but feel a little anxious at Catra’s lack of a response. She knew a few of her friends were coming to attend her graduation. Some of them she had barely seen since she graduated high school four years ago.

She just hoped her girlfriend would be there as well.

* * *

It was the third alarm that finally woke Catra from her deep, deep slumber.

The blaring sound coming from her phone invaded her dreams and yanked her back into reality. She could feel the soft bed underneath her, desperately wanting to pull her back into the land of sleep. Her arms and legs were outstretched on the large bed. One good thing about living alone in this apartment was having a big bed, which was meant for her and Adora, all to herself.

She slowly opened her eyes, running her fingers through her short hair as she grabbed her phone to turn off the alarm. Having the day off work meant sleeping in, but she had a feeling she was meant to be up for something in particular.

As she cancelled the alarm, she suddenly saw a reminder pop up on her phone. Her eyes scanned it, and immediately, she felt her heart almost stop. Energy filled her body as she quickly sat up.

“Shit! Adora’s graduation!” Catra exclaimed.

And just as quickly, she stood up from the bed.

She rushed over to the wardrobe next to the bed, grabbing out whatever nice clothes she could get her hands on first. The ceremony would be in about fifteen minutes time, so Catra felt the immense need to hurry as she did her best to get into a pair of tight denim pants, hopping around the upstairs bedroom as she tried to fit her legs in the tight pair of pants.

She threw on a white shirt with torn sleeves, as well as a denim jacket. It might not have been the most formal look, but it was good for something thrown together in less than a minute.

Catra took a second to look at herself in the mirror on the wardrobe door. She ran her hand through her short hair a few times and made sure the curved barbell piercing in her eyebrow looked alright. Along with the ceremony, she would have to help Adora pack her things and move them back into the apartment.

She ran downstairs from the bedroom, grabbing her bag which contained lunch for both her and Adora, as well as a certain gift. As she went to put it on, she noticed one of the pins missing from the front of the bag. “Where is…” She looked around herself for a few seconds, before spotting the pin on the floor nearby.

The pin read ‘trans rights are human rights’, and the colors of blue, pink and white was the backdrop for the text. She picked it up and pinned it back to her bag, before throwing the bag around her shoulders. She grabbed the apartment key, her phone and her wallet.

And as she left the apartment, she grabbed her skateboard that leant near the front door.

Going down the elevator gave her a few minutes to calm herself. Her rapidly beating heart wasn’t helped as she checked the time and saw that the ceremony was only in ten minutes. “Why’d I have to sleep in today…?” Catra cursed herself, tapping her foot rapidly on the floor.

She had been looking forward to this day so much. She struggled to sleep last night, but in her eyes, that was still no excuse for sleeping in this late. She soon felt the elevator come to a stop, and almost instantly, she ran out through the front door.

As soon as she was out in the streets, she dropped the skateboard in front of herself and hopped on. She glided down the sidewalk, dodging through people as she felt the wind blow pass her face and hair. The sun shining on the streets as she skated through them.

Amidst all the stress, Catra was at least glad to have a nice view of everything around her as she made her way towards the university. She passed by the café she used to work at almost every day, and usually she’d drop in for a quick coffee.

Not today, however.

Catra was quite used to going at this speed on her board. She usually used the skateboard to get to and from Adora’s university whenever she dropped in for a visit. Even outside of that, Catra just loved the rush of being on her board. It was a hobby she had found in her own time, and Catra would say she had gotten quite good at it by now. The skatepark installed recently nearby the apartment building helped her get some practice in.

Catra thought about the other people she’d meet at this ceremony. Perhaps she might even see some people she hadn’t seen since high school. Ever since she graduated from Bright Moon Academy, there had been some people she slowly lost contact with. Perfuma and Huntara were the main ones, but there was also Bow and Glimmer, who she only met on certain occasions.

Finishing high school seemed like such a big deal at the time, and Catra could remember the many promises she had made to stay in touch. And yet, over the four years since then, it was almost out of their control that they lost contact. People moved forward with their lives, and they all became simply too busy for catch-ups. Growing up almost meant growing apart.

It was a thought that stuck with Catra often. How much the people she loved drifted away. But through it all, she always had Adora. And she was thankful for that.

She pushed her foot against the ground, giving herself a speed boost as she made a left turn. She checked her watch quickly and saw only three minutes remaining. She let out a stressed groan as she left the road behind, taking a path that diverted from the sidewalk.

The path had many turns, leading Catra through a park and by a playground. Small trees surrounded the path, coloring the air green around Catra as she skated. It was the quickest way towards the academy, and soon enough, Catra rounded a corner and saw the front gates of the university. She gave a small sigh of relief.

She stepped off the board, kicking the back of it and flipping it into her hand as she jogged through the front entrance with two minutes to spare. She saw people walking to and from lectures, and a few students hanging out on the grassy areas, studying or chatting.

The environment of this university was something Adora loved. Catra often received texts from Adora about how much she loved being able to study under the sun or go to large lecture halls filled with hundreds of students. Catra didn’t really fit in with the vibe herself, but she was glad her girlfriend was happy.

As Catra looked around, panting, the relief of not being late quickly turned into confusion as she had a sudden realization.

“Wait… Where exactly did Adora say the ceremony would be?”

* * *

“Where is she…?” Adora whispered to herself as she peeked around the curtain, looking into the crowd for her girlfriend.

The ceremony was already underway, with the first few students coming up and collecting their diplomas from the headmaster. The crowd was mostly packed with families, friends and other loved ones. Adora felt her heart racing, but it wasn’t because she’d have to speak in front of all of them.

There was nothing she could do. If anything, Adora mostly felt bad for Catra. She knew her girlfriend would feel horrible about missing this. Adora stepped away from the curtain and took a breath. It was out of her control.

She stepped towards the small set of stairs as she awaited her name being called. She wore the same outfit as everyone else who was graduating: a large, dark robe and a square cap. She felt a bit silly in it, but it did make her look smart.

As Adora adjusted her cap, she suddenly heard her name being called up to the stage. It gave her a small fright, but she quickly collected herself as she ascended the stairs, walking towards the headmaster, who held her diploma in hand.

She’d have to give a short speech as well, which she had planned out in advance. As she shook hands with the headmaster, the clapping from the audience was suddenly interrupted by the loudest voice she had ever heard.

“THAT’S MY GIRL!” Adora heard a familiar yell from the audience, and she didn’t even have to turn to know Catra had finally arrived.

Adora had to hide her laughter as she faced the audience before her, grabbing a microphone from the headmaster as she held her diploma in her hand. Four years of work resulting in this. Her name and course printed upon it.

She looked up, and saw Catra making her way towards the seat reserved for her, near the front of the audience. She was clearly panting, but she made it just in time. Adora gave her a smile, and her girlfriend returned it.

“I’d just like to thank all of my friends who stuck with me through all of this,” Adora started. “Entrapta, my roommate, who always managed to pick me up even when I was feeling down,” Adora said, scanning the crowd for her roommate and finding her near the back. She had a great, big smile on her face.

“Bow and Glimmer, who although I haven’t been able to see as much, I know they’ve always got my back,” Adora continued, finding her two best friends from high school seated next to each other midway through the audience. They both had proud looks on their faces.

“Double Trouble, who you all may have heard of by now… They helped me through a confusing time in my life, and I’ll always be thankful to them,” Adora said, glancing at them in the audience. They gave a small clap to Adora, a gentle smile on their face.

“And of course… My girlfriend, Catra,” Adora took a moment to look down at her. They exchanged a loving look, and Catra’s eyes almost distracted Adora from the fact she was speaking in front of hundreds of people. “Words can’t begin to capture how much she means to me. She made me realize just how amazing love truly is.”

Catra could not be more proud of her girlfriend. As she went on to thank her classmates and teachers, Catra took a moment to simply admire Adora. How confident she was talking in front of so many people, and how hard she had worked for all of this. Adora had grown so much from that woman who used to stare at Catra all the time.

Eventually, Adora finished up and handed the microphone back to the headmaster. She joined her fellow graduates as they called the last of them up, and Catra could see that Adora could not get the smile off her face. Along with graduating, Adora was just happy that she’d get to be with her girlfriend once and for all.

Eventually, in celebration, all the graduates grabbed their caps and threw them high into the air. Catra always thought that was something that happened in clichéd movies, but Adora was laughing all throughout it, so she didn’t mind.

As the ceremony finished up, Catra emerged from her seat. Adora had to talk to her teachers, so Catra went over to meet with some people she hadn’t seen in quite a while. She wasn’t sure how to feel about herself.

“Catra! Over here!” She heard her name being called, and she looked over to see Bow, Glimmer and Double Trouble all gathered together near a grassy area. Catra took a moment to calm herself. She had seen Double Trouble frequently ever since high school, but she had only seen Bow and Glimmer maybe twice since then.

“Uh… Hey there,” Catra gave a casual greeting to them. “Really nice to see you all after so long.”

“Darling, don’t treat me like a stranger just because I’m on the news now!” Double Trouble responded, wrapping Catra in a hug. Ever since high school, Double Trouble had managed to find a voice for themself and the queer community. They often were at queer rights rallies and making speeches when need be. They had become much of an activist, and Catra often found videos or articles of them when she was scrolling through social media.

“I’m not, I’m not,” Catra chuckled, returning the hug. She felt comfortable around Double Trouble.

“I see an opportunity for a group hug!” Bow exclaimed, wrapping his arms around Catra and Double Trouble. Catra allowed it just this once. It was nice to see them after so long. Even if there were a few missing people from the Pride Club.

“These two were just telling me about their plans to travel for their study next year,” Double Trouble said as the hug eventually separated.

“Is that so?” Catra asked, looking at Bow and Glimmer.

“You know, it was something of a crazy coincidence. After high school, we both said we’d study our own courses and wouldn’t just go where the other went,” Bow started.

“But apparently, both of us wanted to study global politics, and at the same university! So…” Glimmer wrapped her hands around Bow’s arm, leaning her head on his shoulder. “I guess we’re inseparable.”

“So you’re still a bunch of dorks. Got it,” Catra scoffed, and Bow and Glimmer couldn’t help but chuckle.

“To be fair, it’s not like we’re doing exactly the same thing,” Bow picked up. “I’ve been practicing archery on the side and she’s undergoing a minor in women’s studies. But still… We are kind of roommates in the same dorm, so…”

“You’re not getting away from me easily,” Glimmer said with a sarcastic evil grin. “So, Catra… What are you up to these days?”

“W… Well, I…” Catra struggled to find the words to say. Compared to all three of them, working in a factory that specializes in parts for cars, like suspension and brakes, doesn’t exactly sound like the brightest of futures. Catra stuttered for a bit. “I’m… just doing a job at a factory part time. University has never been for me so… You know, I’m just trying to find my own way… Figuring things out slowly.”

“Ah, I see. That’s fair,” Bow replied with a nod. “You don’t want to just rush in and get a degree for no reason, right?”

“Yeah… Yeah, that’s right,” Catra said. All three of them held no judgment towards her, but even still, Catra felt like she was behind on life. With two of her friends travelling the world for their study, one of her friends being an activist for a much-needed cause and her girlfriend getting into teaching, Catra felt small. She felt like everyone had ran ahead of her and it was too late to catch up.

But eventually, those thoughts were interrupted as she spotted Adora walking towards them. “I see you’re all getting nice and friendly without me,” Adora spoke.

“Congratulations, Adora!” Bow beamed.

“Congrats! I knew you’d pass whatever course you got into with flying colors,” Glimmer perked up.

“Doll, you’re an absolute star,” Double Trouble smiled.

“Aw, you’re all too kind…” Adora couldn’t help but blush at all the kindness she received. Soon, her eyes looked towards Catra, who could only stare at her in wonder. Catra had a million words to say, and yet they all caught in her throat as she simply looked at her girlfriend with stars in her eyes. “Cat got your tongue?” Adora asked with a playful tone.

“Oh, come here,” Catra sighed, placing a hand on Adora’s cheek. Before she could move in, Adora had already pushed her lips to Catra’s. It was clear this was what they both wanted as they shared a kiss, but only a brief one for now. They were in front of their old friends, after all.

“Oh no, please don’t stop on our behalf,” Double Trouble spoke with a suggestive tone as they separated, raising an eyebrow. This only caused Adora and Catra to chuckle, slightly embarrassed but mostly just happy to be in each other’s arms.

“Hello, roommate’s friends!” Another voice perked up, and everyone turned to see Entrapta jogging towards them. “I was looking everywhere for you, but everyone is so tall! It’s so hard to find people in this crowd!”

“Who’s this?” Glimmer asked Adora.

“Oh, this is my roommate, Entrapta. The one I mentioned in my speech,” Adora introduced her to Bow, Glimmer and Double Trouble. Adora turned to Entrapta. “Entrapta, I think you’ve already seen Catra a few times, but the other three are Bow, Glimmer and Double Trouble.”

As Entrapta started to talk to the other three, Catra felt herself slowly drifting away from the conversation. Their words became unclear as she couldn’t help but simply look at the floor. It was a weird feeling she found herself in. Happy to be with all of Adora’s friends, but at the same time, she felt like nothing compared to them.

Her heart felt heavy. Her gut felt like it was being crushed. Catra wasn’t sure how to process all of this. She grabbed her own arm, trying to push through her discomfort. She almost felt like a virus attached to Adora; a weight dragging her down.

“Isn’t that right, Catra?” Bow suddenly chimed in, snapping Catra back to reality as she looked up and saw everyone staring at her.

“Huh?” Catra asked.

“We were just talking about that last prom we had back in high school. Entrapta was wondering if it was true that you cursed out your mom in front of everyone else,” Glimmer asked.

“I…” Catra looked at all of them. She tried to find the words to say. “Yeah… I guess I did…”

As Catra spoke, she suddenly saw Entrapta’s eyes turn from admiration to concern. Her smile faded into a sad frown. “I… I’m sorry, did I say something wrong…?” Entrapta asked, her voice softer as she looked to Catra.

“What…? Why do you say that?” Catra asked, raising an eyebrow.

“You look… sad.”

Catra didn’t even realize. As she looked around, she noticed concerned, worried gazes from everyone else. She suddenly felt every muscle in her face, and she had no idea she looked so miserable. She suddenly perked up, waving her hands dismissively. “I… I’m fine! Really, you don’t have to apologize!”

“Are you sure…?” Entrapta asked.

“Seriously! I’m cool. I guess I’m just a bit tired from having to race all the way here. I kinda slept in, so…” Catra chuckled, putting on the best smile she could. Entrapta looked to Catra for a few seconds, and eventually, she smiled too.

“Thanks, Catra,” Entrapta replied.

“It’s… It’s nothing,” Catra responded. She took a few seconds to collect herself. “Hey, I’m going to go help Adora pack her things. I’ll see you all later, alright?”

“Alright. We’ll meet up later for lunch!” Double Trouble suggested, and everyone seemed onboard.

As Catra began to leave for Adora’s dorm, she noticed her girlfriend following her. Despite everything, if there was one person that could read her best, it would be Adora. They walked for a few seconds, before Catra felt Adora grab her hand gently.

“You know I still love you, right?” Adora said softly.

“I know… I know. I love you too,” Catra replied. “Just… They’re all doing so many amazing things and I’m… I’m just working at some factory. Plus… Thinking about Shadow Weaver always… It always fucks with me. It’s not their fault for bringing it up. I’m not mad at them. I just… I thought I’d be over her by now.”

“Catra…” Adora stopped her girlfriend. They stood outside the dorm building as they held hands. “First of all, you’re not less of a person just because of where you work or what you’re doing. No one is looking down at you because of your job. Anyone that does is someone I don’t want to be friends with.”

Catra let out a sigh of relief, pushing her forehead against Adora’s. “And secondly…” Adora continued, “what Shadow Weaver did to you… Of course it’s going to bring back bad memories. That’s only natural. You’re allowed to feel the way you feel about them. But… You know she can’t control you anymore, right?”

“I know,” Catra whispered. She felt Adora place a kiss on her forehead. “I just wish she didn’t stick around like a ghost in my memories.”

“I wish so too. It hurts to see you like this. But I’ll always be here for you, alright?” Adora smiled. Catra saw her loving face, and she couldn’t resist smiling too.

“You’re such a dork,” Catra softly giggled.

“You love it,” Adora replied. Catra took a second to sigh.

“Sorry… I don’t want to ruin your special day with me being mopey,” Catra apologized. Gently, Adora raised a hand and placed it on Catra’s cheek, brushing it with her thumb.

“You haven’t,” Adora shook her head, before moving in. This time, Catra was the first to push her lips to Adora’s, sharing a tender kiss that filled her with the warmth she needed. Even through everything, she always felt safe in Adora’s arms. A kiss from her could fix everything. “I promise,” Adora finished as she separated.

“Come on. Let’s go pack this mess you call a room,” Catra smiled as they walked into the dorm building, going upstairs to Adora and Entrapta’s room. “Oh, and one more thing…”

“What’s that?” Adora asked as they walked together. Catra simply grinned.

“Well… Let’s just say I have a surprise for you tonight.”

* * *

One thing Catra picked up in her time living alone at the apartment was how to cook.

The sky had turned dark and night rolled around once Adora and Catra finally returned home. They still hadn’t finished moving everything, but they made good progress for the day. Plus, Adora was desperate to know what Catra’s surprise was.

As Adora sat by the dining table, watching Catra with a smile on her face while the TV streamed a romantic movie, Catra went to work on making the best dinner she could for her girlfriend.

She grabbed out some pasta she had made fresh just the previous day, prepared just for this certain occasion. As she brought a pot of heavily salted water to a boil, she also took the time to thinly slice a few cloves of garlic.

Adora was impressed with how skilled Catra had become with a knife. She chopped the garlic cloves precisely, but with a bit of speed as well. She looked like a pro. After living off instant noodles and frozen meals, it was nice to come home to something like this.

As Catra placed the fresh pasta into the boiling water, she also drizzled in about half a cup of olive oil into a cold sauté pan. The thinly sliced garlic went in with the pan, and she stirred it around with some tongs. Although she had seen this dish before, this was her first time making it. She just hoped she wouldn’t screw it up.

Freshly made pasta never took a long time to become al dente, and once the garlic in the pan had turned blonde, she drained the pasta and placed it in the pan, along with some pasta water. Adora wanted to compliment Catra, but at the same time, she didn’t want to interrupt her focus. Plus, she was lost in admiration.

Next, Catra grabbed a few sprigs of flat-leaf parsley. She finely chopped it in a rapid motion, her knife making quick work of the herb in less than twenty seconds. The freshly chopped parsley went into the pasta, and after squeezing in some juice from a lemon, all that was left to do was toss it all together.

Oil, garlic, parsley, pasta and lemon juice all came together to create a dish known as pasta aglio e olio. Adora noticed the way Catra was able to toss it all together with relative ease, and it came together into a dish that was delicious to just look at.

She brought the sauté pan over to the bench, and took a few seconds to season it with salt, making sure to give it a taste. Once she was able to taste what she made, Catra could only grin. It was a job well done in her eyes.

She plated up two dishes with a carving fork and brought them over to the dining table, sitting along with Adora as she gave her a dinner she hoped would impress her. “Wow…” Adora finally spoke up, only being able to chuckle as she looked at the dish. “Since when did you become a chef?”

“Please. I just like making dishes like this. You should’ve seen me when I started teaching myself how to cook. I managed to burn water,” Catra scoffed as she ate her first bite of the dish at the same time as Adora. She looked to her girlfriend for her reaction.

“Hm…” Adora took a few seconds to taste it. It was a nervous few seconds for Catra, but eventually, Adora spoke up. “Yeah, I think I’m going to marry you.”

“I’ll take that as you thinking it’s good,” Catra smiled.

“Good?! Good doesn’t begin to describe it! This is amazing, Catra!” Adora beamed.

“Oh, stop it…” Catra chuckled. “Actually, nah, compliment me more. I deserve it,” she said a few seconds later with a proud smirk.

“So was this the surprise? That my girlfriend can make restaurant quality food now?” Adora asked as she ate at her dinner. Catra couldn’t get the smile off her face, but she shook her head.

“Not exactly. This was just my welcome-home gift. I…” Catra took a few seconds to gather her thoughts. She knew what she was going to say was going to be cheesy, but she didn’t really care at this point. “I really missed you, Adora. You just… You light up my life. Being with you still makes me happy after all this time. And I’m proud of you.”

Adora could only look at Catra with the biggest grin on her face, and Catra’s face soon turned red. “Yeah, yeah, you can call me a dork now…” Catra sighed.

But instead, Adora stood up and walked over to her girlfriend. She placed her thumb and index finger on Catra’s chin gently, and tilted her head up. Catra couldn’t help but smile as Adora pressed her lips to hers. Adora could feel Catra’s smile within the passionate kiss, and they didn’t care how long it went on for.

“I’m proud of you too…” Adora said as she separated for less than a second, before immediately going back into the kiss. It was clearly becoming more passionate as time went on, and yet Catra didn’t want to stop. She slowly stood up, wrapping her arm around Adora’s waist as they kissed.

This closeness was everything she needed. This love was exactly what she desired. But eventually, they had to separate simply to breath as Catra couldn’t help but chuckle. “Your breath smells like garlic,” Catra smirked.

“You’re the one who made the dish,” Adora’s nose bumped with Catra’s as they held each other. “I’m serious, by the way. I’m so, so, so proud of you. You’ve really made me so much happier than I was four years ago. I love you so much. I can’t believe I’m so lucky to have you in my life.”

“Hmm…” Catra chuckled with her mouth closed. She took a breath. “If you think you’re lucky now, wait until I show you my surprise.”

“You’re killing me with this wait,” Adora replied, and Catra knew it. She separated from Adora’s arms.

“Close your eyes,” Catra said, and Adora could only roll her eyes, before shutting them. Catra went over to her bag, reaching in and pulling out the surprise. Her heart was racing, but it would be all worth it to see Adora’s smile once more.

She approached her girlfriend, and held up the surprise. “Alright… Open your eyes, and please try not to scream. I don’t want our neighbors complaining,” Catra spoke softly. Soon, Adora opened her eyes to see it. Catra could only smirk as Adora’s eyes widened. “Surprise. Took a while to save up for it, but… I’d say it was worth it.”

In Catra’s hands was the surprise: two plane tickets for Paris, the city of love.


	2. Airport

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora and Catra begin their Paris trip. Catra is reminded of an anxiety from her past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! 
> 
> First of all, the response for the first chapter has been absolutely delightful! Thank you all so much for the love!
> 
> Secondly, I just want to make a quick note: as the holiday season rolls around, I'll be slowly getting more busy with life stuff and family things. This might mean that uploads for this story will be a tad slower than usual, but I'll do my absolute best to get chapters out when I can! Thank you all for your patience in advanced. Once the New Year rolls around, I should be able to stick to a more consistent upload schedule. 
> 
> Happy holidays, y'all!

The loud bell ringing throughout the factory signalled the end of Catra’s shift.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead, letting out a sigh as she placed down one last cardboard box upon a trolley. It was about midday, but she had started work at four in the morning. Getting an earlier shift meant she could be home in time to pack and leave for the airport that night.

She went over to the break room to grab her things, taking off her high-visibility vest and hanging it outside the breakroom. Her phone and wallet were still in the locker, along with a small bottle of soft drink she had saved for herself as a reward for finishing another shift.

“Enjoy your trip, Catra,” her co-worker told her, and she nodded to them. She never really talked to many people at work apart from her boss every now and then. She didn’t dislike them. But she never felt like she could get in on what they were talking about.

As she popped open the bottle of soft drink, she left the factory through the front door and was greeted with a beautiful, sunny day. Her skateboard rested on the wall near the front door, and she grabbed it, throwing it down in front of herself and jumping on, pushing it forward with her right leg to get a boost downhill.

Normally, Catra would drive to work. But today, she felt like getting some fresh air in on the usual trip. It was a lot longer, but the day was nice enough for it. She travelled on the sidewalk, watching cars fly by, going to and from wherever they needed to be.

Adora would be finishing up packing her things and would be fully moved in with the apartment by now. Seeing all those boxes around the apartment reminded Catra of when she first moved in with Adora. It even reminded her of when Adora first made the offer for Catra to move in.

It sounded ridiculous, but Catra never really wanted to say no. More than anything, she wanted to escape Shadow Weaver. But at that time, that would’ve meant dragging Adora down. Catra never wanted to hurt the people who were trying to help her.

Although, now that all was said and done, Catra wondered if she was dragging down Adora anyway. The day of her graduation still stuck in Catra’s mind for many reasons. Both a day of joy, but also a day of confusion. Adora had told her everything was fine, but the feeling of inadequacy still stuck with Catra.

The positive thing is that Double Trouble had offered to take Adora and Catra to the airport. They had a relatively relaxed schedule this time of the year, so they figured they’d want to help out some old friends. Catra had started texting them frequently too. It reminded her of the good old days.

As Catra skated, she took a right turn. She normally wouldn’t have to go down this road, but it was the only way that had a sidewalk. She wasn’t going to be skating on the freeway any time soon, as cool as that sounded.

However, the right turn led her straight into her old neighborhood.

She managed to go by here early this morning with relative ease. Everything was so dark that she didn’t need to look. But now the day was bright, and it felt like bitter memories were being shoved in her face.

She looked up and saw the streets she used to run on. Running away from Shadow Weaver. She didn’t care where she ended up. She simply wanted to be away from everything. From her. From her old academy. From life.

And as she skated down the street, she eventually went by her old home. The home filled with toxic memories and misery. But as Catra passed by her old home, she realized something.

Shadow Weaver was still there.

Catra looked at the house and saw Shadow Weaver’s car still parked in the same spot as usual. The house had overgrown with weeds, and the paint had become dehydrated and cracked. It looked like a shell of its former self. But it was still the same house. And it was still home to the same person.

Catra’s mind raced. She was only a few feet away from someone she hadn’t seen for four years. Someone who had given her nightmares and had made her feel sick upon the mention of her mere name. And nothing was stopping Catra from walking through those front doors and seeing her again.

But Catra would rather do anything else than see Shadow Weaver again.

She skated by her old home, looking away and pretending it didn’t exist. Shadow Weaver can’t hurt her anymore. Catra had to keep telling herself that.

Even if it wasn’t true.

The rest of the trip was met with relative ease as Catra left the neighborhood behind and approached the apartment building. She was able to leave herself with her own thoughts as she skated down mostly empty streets. The views were nice. It helped take her mind off the bad things.

After a few minutes, once Catra was outside the apartment building, she kicked up her board and grabbed it. She pulled her phone out of her back pocket, opening her messages and texting Adora as she entered the building.

 **NoPurr44:** Just got off from work and arrived home. How long do you think you might be?

As Catra entered the elevator and leaned against the back wall, she saw Adora type out a response.

 **Adorablyscary33:** About fifteen minutes. Entrapta is helping me pack the last of my things, and then we’re off to Paris tonight!

 **NoPurr44:** I’m looking forward to it. Have you had lunch yet?

 **Adorablyscary33:** Nope. I can hear my stomach rumbling.

 **NoPurr44:** I’ll see if I can make you something with what we have. See you soon. I love you.

 **Adorablyscary33:** Yay, chef Catra! I love you too!

The elevator dinged as it reached the twelfth floor, and Catra put her phone away, grabbing her keys from her wallet and opening up the door to her apartment. A few boxes were strewn about the floor that she had to dodge as she put her phone and wallet on the dining table, leaning her skateboard against the wall in the meantime.

Fifteen minutes to make a dish with what was already in the fridge…

Well, Catra didn’t need much time to decide what to make.

She opened the fridge door, grabbing out some leftover rice from a couple of days ago. Along with that, she grabbed some eggs, scallions, soy sauce and a secret ingredient. Egg fried rice was the perfect dish in mind.

She grabbed out her wok, placing it on the largest burner. As it heated up, she cracked open three eggs into a small bowl and used a fork to whisk them together. Making fried rice was something that was quick and simple, and Catra did it almost every week.

After all the compliments Adora gave on her pasta, Catra had to take a second to realize that cooking was one of the first things she had grown a passion for. She usually wasn’t that great at sticking with things for a long time, and she figured she’d eventually give up on learning to cook as well.

But it had been three years since she burnt water. Since then, she had gotten multiple cookbooks and often found herself watching videos about cooking. It never felt like she was forcing herself to do that. It was just something that came naturally, something she found joy in doing.

Plus, if it made Adora happy, that was just a bonus.

She sprayed some vegetable oil into the wok, before dumping the beaten eggs in. The intense heat of the wok cooked the eggs in almost no time, and once they were scrambled to the point of not being liquid, Catra added the leftover rice.

When she started off, it took her a few tries to realize that fried rice should never be made with warm rice. Leftover rice was the only way to go, since it didn’t turn to mush during cooking. As Catra tossed together the eggs and rice, she took a second to admire the wok hay, or the breath of the wok.

It almost made up for the fact that she tended to set off the smoke alarm when cooking with a wok.

Once everything was nice and hot, Catra added some soy sauce. And only a few seconds after, she added her secret ingredient: monosodium glutamate, also known as MSG. It added an immense amount of flavor to the fried rice.

In less than a few minutes, it had all been whipped up. Normally, Catra might add some ham or some peas, but she didn’t have those on hand. Still, it made for a nice dish. All that was left was the garnish.

Catra chopped up a few scallions at a rapid speed. Her knife skills had improved tremendously from when she cut herself every time she stepped into the kitchen three years ago. She topped the fried rice with the scallions, mixed it all together, and took a second to admire her handiwork.

“Oh, I could smell that from the bottom floor,” a voice sounded from the door, and Catra turned to see Adora stepping into the apartment, carrying a heavy box with her that she placed down next to the front door. “I am seriously starving. Been packing things since early this morning.”

“You finished it all up?” Catra asked as Adora closed the door behind herself.

“Yep. Last of the boxes will be moved in while we’re on our trip,” Adora smiled. She stepped towards Catra, leaning in and giving her girlfriend a quick kiss. After getting up at nearly three in the morning and working for eight hours, this kiss made it all worth it to Catra.

“I’m really excited to just… be with you,” Catra smiled as they separated. “Feels like life gets in the way too much these days.”

“Ugh, tell me about it,” Adora sighed as Catra plated up a bowl for her girlfriend. “I am so glad I can just be alone with my girlfriend for a few days. Paris or not, you just make me happy, Catra.”

“You telling me I didn’t need to purchase those tickets?” Catra asked with a sarcastic smirk.

“You know what I mean, dummy,” Adora chuckled as she sat at the dining table with her food. “Of course I’m ecstatic to be going overseas. I’ve always wanted to go to Paris. But I can’t imagine going alone. I need you to be there. That’s what’ll make the journey for me.”

Catra couldn’t get the genuine smile off her own face. Having Adora home, knowing she won’t leave for university the next day, filled Catra with a joy she couldn’t describe. Simply having Adora in her life brought so much light into everything.

Catra kissed the top of Adora’s head. “I love you,” she whispered. “I’m going to go get a shower to get the factory muck off me, then we should finish packing for our trip.”

“Sounds good,” Adora replied. As Catra walked towards the bathroom, she took a few seconds to simply admire Adora from afar. The woman she had known since high school who had changed so much in her life.

Adora meant happiness to Catra. She meant joy and love. She meant safety and hope. Catra wasn’t hopeless without her, but being with Adora just made life more fulfilling. Adora meant the world to Catra.

And most of all, Adora meant a future for Catra.

* * *

The sound of overhead planes filled Catra’s ears as she grabbed her suitcase from the boot of the car.

Her bag was a little lighter than Adora’s, and along with it all, she also had some carry-on luggage containing some books, their phones, chargers and whatever else they wanted to have on the plane or at hand.

The drive to the airport was about an hour, and it was around six in the afternoon once they arrived. “You got everything, darling?” Catra heard Double Trouble ask. They had taken the time to drive Adora and Catra all the way out here.

“Yep,” Catra say as she gave Adora her suitcase. If there’s anything the factory did good, it gave Catra some strength. She could carry both suitcases and the carry-on backpack with only a little bit of struggle. “We really can’t thank you enough, DT. You’re a lifesaver.”

“Of course I’m going to support my favorite pair of lesbians! Oh, don’t tell anyone I told you that,” Double Trouble said with a teasing smirk, and Catra and Adora could only chuckle in response. “Really though, you two need some time together. Just be sure to send pics, alright?”

“We will,” Adora responded as she hugged Double Trouble, giving them a quick kiss on the cheek. “It’s only for a few days. You sure you’re okay to pick us up from the airport when we get back?”

“Oh, easy. You can swing by my place for drinks after, if you’d like,” Double Trouble responded. “I can make a mean Bloody Mary according to some friends of mine.”

“We’ll see how we’re feeling,” Catra said, also hugging Double Trouble as she spoke. “I love you, DT. We’ll see you soon.”

“I love you, dolls. Both of you,” Double Trouble said. They checked their watch. “Oh, you two best get going! I don’t want to be the reason you’re late.”

“Thanks again, DT!” Adora waved, grabbing her suitcase and heading into the airport building. Catra followed behind, entering a world of hustling people, stressed families and loud voices over the comms and speakers.

Catra had never been to an airport before. She had seen them so many times in movies, but being in one was a whole new experience. She reached out, grabbing Adora’s hand as they walked. Adora intertwined her fingers with Catra’s.

“So first, we need to check-in and get rid of these massive suitcases,” Adora said as she looked around the busy airport. Catra looked down at Adora’s case, and smirked.

“How much did you pack for a four-day trip?” Catra asked.

“I packed enough! You never know when you need an extra outfit to wear!” Adora replied. She had been very stressed about what to bring, whereas Catra had packed in the laziest fashion one could think of. Her clothes and other luggage were thrown together in a mess that could only cause Adora to sigh.

As they approached the counter to check-in, Catra looked up at the flight times. Their flight would leave at ten o’clock at night, meaning they had four hours to spare. She didn’t mind too much. Always best to be early when need be.

Adora presented their passports, which they only recently got, and she grabbed their tickets from the counter. Catra mostly stayed in silence as Adora organized most of the check-in. She seemed more confident in her speaking.

Catra wasn’t necessarily shy. She just usually left this stuff to Adora. Catra had no idea how to manage herself at an airport, and it was one of the few times she’d completely let Adora take the reigns and steer them in the right direction.

It was the basis of their relationship, Catra found. They helped each other when they needed it. And Catra appreciated that.

Once they had put their suitcases away to be packed onto the flight and received their tickets, the next thing to do was to go through security. Catra had taken out her eyebrow piercing just for this, but it would be a hassle to get it back on later.

Security was moderately busy, but it only took a few minutes for Catra to unpack the carry-on bag and put their phones and laptops on a tray in order to be scanned. She stuck close to Adora, not wanting to lose sight of her.

Catra was in her early 20s and was scared of being lost in an airport. She took a second to realize how pathetic that was.

Adora was the first to walk through the scanner, and Catra followed soon after. Thankfully, neither of them set it off, though Catra got a few weird stares as she walked through. Perhaps her nervousness was a bit too obvious. Nevertheless, she quickly grabbed her bag and followed Adora.

“Now that that part is over…” Adora let out a sigh of relief. “I suppose we should find where our gate is.”

Catra looked up at the large sign near security, and saw that their gate was down towards the right. “This way,” Catra nodded in that direction, taking Adora’s hand and walking down the hallway.

They passed by shops, restaurants, other gates, people and lounges. The airport was almost like a mall, and the bustling atmosphere almost made Catra walk faster than she usually did. She wasn’t sure why. It’s not like they were in a particular hurry.

“You feeling alright?” Adora asked Catra as they walked.

“Just tired,” Catra replied. “Why?”

“You seem nervous,” Adora pointed out. Catra knew it was obvious.

“I don’t know… I’ve never been in an airport. And I’ve never had you around for this long since you started university. Just…” Catra sighs. “I know it’s dumb… And I know it’s selfish… But it feels like if I let you go, you’re just going to… Disappear or something. Just… forget it. It’s stupid.”

“It’s not stupid,” Adora shook her head, squeezing Catra’s hand tight. “I missed you too. All that time in university… Not a day went by where I didn’t just want to be in your arms. I always thought of you, Catra. You’re not selfish.”

“I promise I won’t be clingy all the time. I’m so proud of you, Adora. Just… you know, I get lonely sometimes. But you have a life. So do I. I promise this isn’t going to make me all mopey or whatever. I just… I’m gonna need these few days with you to help me recharge,” Catra assured Adora as they walked. “Uh… Thanks for hearing me out. I’m glad I can talk about this stuff with you.”

“Of course,” Adora smiled. “You can talk to me about anything, Catra. I completely understand. You’re allowed to have your needs. I’ll do my best to be here for you more from now on, alright?”

Catra had to admit she liked the sound of that. “Don’t think you have to prioritize me over everything. You’ve got a great future, Adora. I’m always here to support you. I don’t want to get in your way.”

“Oh, I know I don’t have to prioritize you over everything. But I can choose for myself. And my choice will always be you over anything else, Catra,” Adora replied. Catra’s face flushed red upon hearing those words, and she let out a sigh.

“You really have to embarrass me wherever we go, huh?” Catra asked, and Adora could only give a soft giggle. “I love you, you dork.”

“I love you too,” Adora said, kissing Catra’s hand quickly. Her eyes perked up. “Oh, here’s the gate!”

Catra looked up to see their gate on the left, mostly empty at this point. The flight wouldn’t leave for another three hours, so they had a lot of downtime. Catra and Adora easily found a couple of empty seats, and Catra immediately felt her body relax once she was able to sit down.

“You look like you need a nap,” Adora observed as she sat next to Catra. The latter could only groan as she leaned her head on Adora’s shoulder. “You can clock out for a few hours. I’ll wake you when we start boarding.”

“You sure that’s alright?” Catra asked.

“Of course. I was going to read my book anyway,” Adora replied, reaching for the bag and pulling out the fantasy novel she was in the middle of. That was all Catra needed for her to close her eyes, using Adora as her pillow as she finally was able to get some sleep after being awake for over fifteen hours.

And yet, all of it would be worth it once they got to Paris.

* * *

When Catra woke up, she did so naturally.

Her eyes flickered open to find a room full of other sleeping people. Some were still up, checking the time. The outside looked dark as night rolled around, and yet the night sky was filled with lights from planes.

Catra realized she was still leaning on Adora, who was scrolling through social media on her phone. Adora noticed Catra’s shuffling around, and she looked down at her girlfriend. “You were out cold,” Adora whispered.

“Was I snoring?” Catra asked as she sat up, stretching her arms above her head as she tilted neck from side to side, cracking out the aches.

“Only a bit,” Adora answered. “Our flight got delayed.”

“Shit, really?” Catra asked, checking the time on her phone. It was about one in the morning, three hours after the initial boarding time.

“Some problem with fuelling. They say we should be leaving within the hour though,” Adora explained as Catra leaned back on her seat. “I was kinda thankful. You looked like you needed some sleep,” Adora said as she brushed some of Catra’s short hair behind her ear.

Catra smiled at her girlfriend. “I appreciate you sitting there for so long,” she said, and Adora only responded by kissing Catra’s forehead. “Think we should get some food before they call for boarding?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing,” Adora said, sitting up and stretching out her legs. Catra packed their things into her bag as Adora walked around a bit, getting some feeling back into her body after sitting still for so long. “Not too many places open apart from some fast food joints.”

“Eh, I was in the mood for a quick bite anyway,” Catra shrugged as she slung her bag over her shoulders.

At one in the morning, the airport felt like a completely different place. Many of the stores had closed, and very few people were around at this time of the night. Catra and Adora walked through hallways that were bustling a few hours ago, but were now mostly empty.

Their footsteps echoed throughout the halls, and Catra spun as she walked, looking around to see all of the nothingness around them. “What’re you doing that for?” Adora asked the spinning Catra.

“Just feels like a whole different world. I want to take it all in,” Catra replied, holding out a hand towards Adora. “You want to join me?”

Adora looked at Catra’s extended hand for a few seconds, but eventually, she took it. Catra pulled Adora towards herself, almost dancing with her as they moved through the halls. No one was there to see them, except maybe a few security cameras.

Adora laughed as they danced together, pushing her forehead into the crook of Catra’s neck. “What are we doing?” Adora asked as she giggled, and Catra ran her fingers through Adora’s long, almost golden hair.

“Being the best couple in the world, I suppose,” Catra shrugged. “This reminds me of that prom. I was scared half to death of losing you.”

“Yeah… I was too. I thought I was going to throw up,” Adora admitted as they gently swayed together in the empty airport. “But look at us now. Nothing can separate us. And I’ve never been happier than I am right now with you.”

Catra pushed her lips to the top of Adora’s head, but eventually, they reached the food court. They soon split, and Catra went off to find a seat for them. Not like it was hard, since they were all empty. “I’ll get us something quick,” Adora said as she went to one of the few open fast food chains at this time of night.

Catra nodded to her, and walked through the empty court, taking a seat directly at a table in the middle. The speakers were silent, and Catra could only hear the food being made and Adora talking with the cashier.

With there being no music playing through the speakers, Catra decided to pull her phone from her bag, playing some music of her own. She shuffled her playlist, and a song about agoraphobia was the first to play. The song echoed from her phone and throughout the airport. It relaxed her.

Adora returned with their food only a few minutes later. It may have not been the best quality, but it was nice to eat, and it was fulfilling. The two of them simply ate in silence, letting Catra’s music play between them as they took in the mostly empty airport.

Catra looked out towards the window to see another plane touch down on the runway. Another set of people arriving, each with their own story. Catra laid back, leaning her head on Adora’s shoulder as they looked out the window into the night sky.

But soon, their moment was interrupted by a voice over the speaker announcing that their flight was now boarding. It was sooner than expected, but Catra and Adora had finished up with their food anyway. Catra grabbed her phone and her bag and stood up.

Adora yawned as they walked back to the gate. “Think I might catch some sleep on the flight. Being a pillow is tiring,” Adora said.

“I’ll return the favor this time,” Catra said and Adora leaned her head on Catra’s shoulder as they walked.

“I’d like that.”

Eventually, the two of them found their way to the gate. They got in line as Adora grabbed their plane tickets from Catra’s bag. The line moved forward quickly, and once they reached the front, Catra presented her ticket to the attendant.

Adora and her passed with no issues, and went on to the bridge that led them towards the flight. Catra noticed her heartrate picking up as she walked. Her first time on a plane. She wasn’t sure if it was nervousness or excitement that flooded her body, but either way, she took a breath and tried to keep calm.

Once they were on the plane, the two of them found their seats midway down the plane. “No fair that you get window seat,” Adora huffed as Catra put her bag in the overhead compartment.

“You’re going to be sleeping for most of the flight. I’m sure you don’t need to look out the window in the meantime,” Catra scoffed as she took a seat, and Adora sat next to her.

“You’re still a jerk,” Adora said sarcastically, and Catra just shrugged her off as she looked out towards the night sky. Her window gave her a view of the wing of the plane, which was blinking with some lights.

Over the course of the next few dozen minutes, everyone found their seats and the plane began to taxi, along with a few announcements of safety being made. Catra listened to some of it, but she mostly looked outside, trying to take in the world around her so her mind wouldn’t resort to panicking about being on a plane.

However, panic soon flooded her system anyway as the plane began to speed forward down the runway in order to take off.

Catra’s eyes widened and her throat clamped tight. She was nowhere near prepared for this part of take-off, and she gripped the armrest tight. She didn’t think she’d be scared of planes. She felt pathetic.

But soon, she felt Adora’s head lean on her arm.

Catra looked to see that Adora was already asleep. Somehow, she was sleeping through the chaos of the plane lifting off from the ground and soaring towards the sky. Catra looked at her girlfriend, and it was enough to slowly calm her heart once the plane was in the air.

And yet, there was still nervousness within Catra’s heart. Not because of the flight. But because of the trip.

And more specifically, what Catra planned to do on this trip.

* * *

It was four in the afternoon by the time the plane touched down in Paris.

The landing had been as smooth as the flight. Catra could see the city once the plane sunk below the clouds, and she knew they were in for an amazing trip. Once the plane began to taxi towards the terminal, Catra took her earphones out and looked at her sleeping girlfriend.

Gently, she nudged Adora awake. She blinked as she felt Catra’s hand on her arm, and eventually, she woke up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Are we already here…?” Adora asked with a mumble.

“You were out the entire flight. But yeah, we’re just arriving now,” Catra said as Adora tried to shake her body awake, though to no avail. It was clear that Adora had become a victim of jetlag, and Catra knew that she’d be in no mood for exploring this afternoon.

“I organized us a cab outside the airport when we arrived. Our hotel shouldn’t be far from here,” Adora said, yawning as she finished her sentence. Once the plane came to a still, Catra stood up, going to the overhead compartment and grabbing their bag.

“You okay to stand up, sleepyhead?” Catra teased as she held out a hand to Adora.

“I’m tired, not injured,” Adora scoffed as she stood up on her own. Although, she immediately almost fell forward onto Catra the moment she stood up, and Catra could only give her a teasing smirk. “Shut up,” Adora groaned to the smug Catra.

“I didn’t say anything, clumsy,” Catra shrugged, walking down the aisle towards the front of the plane. Adora followed closely behind as they left the plane and walked towards the terminal, thanking the flight attendant on the way out.

“I’m gonna crash so hard once we get to a bed,” Adora mumbled as she pushed her forehead onto the back of Catra’s neck.

“And I thought I was bad with planes,” Catra chuckled once they entered the airport. A busy atmosphere was more familiar, though Catra missed the late night vibes she got from the last airport at one in the morning.

The two of them made their way downstairs to collect their luggage. Although, it was mostly Catra doing all the work whilst Adora struggled to stay awake. Catra made sure to keep Adora up, since there was no telling when she’d collapse and pass out.

“Hey Adora,” Catra whispered as they waited for their luggage to come out.

“What?” Adora responded with a hoarse voice.

“We’re in Paris,” Catra said.

“… Yeah. We are,” Adora said, as if having a sudden realization that they were overseas. “We’re in Paris…”

“We’ll explore tomorrow. Right now, you need to stay up right. I don’t want people thinking I knocked you out or something,” Catra smiled as she spotted their luggage coming around. She grabbed both her and Adora’s suitcase, carrying them both and letting Adora simply stay up right.

As the two of them exited the airport, they spotted a taxi driver holding up a sign with Adora’s name. Catra approached them, and the driver gladly took their luggage for them, opening the door for her and Adora. The air of Paris felt warm, almost like honey.

The sky was painted orange and the traffic was a gentle stream. Adora got into the back of the taxi first, and Catra sat next to her. The two of them looked out the window of the taxi as it drove through the streets of Paris. Although the drive was only fifteen minutes, it gave the two of them an idea of just how beautiful the city was.

It was like a clash of the ages. Modern cars and buildings colliding with artwork, statues and other buildings coming straight from the seventeenth and eighteenth century. A twist of time and love crafted this city in a gorgeous array of light and life.

Catra imagined herself and Adora in all sorts of places. She could see a Ferris wheel, multiple cafés, and of course, the Eiffel Tower, off in the distance. Catra looked to her girlfriend, and they exchanged a smile as they realized they were finally in Paris, together, alone.

Catra wondered what herself from high school would think of this. The woman who stared at her all the time being the one who would accompany her to the city of love. It was everything Catra wanted and more.

Eventually, the taxi arrived at the hotel. Catra collected their luggage, and the fare was paid with card. The hotel looked tall and comfortable, and the longue out the front had walls and ceilings ripped straight from the nineteenth century. Adora looked around as Catra checked in for them.

Normally check-in would be Adora’s job, but she was barely conscious.

Once everything was sorted and Catra had their room key, the two of them walked towards the elevator out back. “This…” Adora slurred as they entered the elevator. “This is amazing…”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this screwed. I knew jetlag was bad, but… Yeesh,” Catra chuckled as she looked to her girlfriend.

“It’ll be all worth it for some time with you,” Adora smiled as the elevator doors opened. Catra grabbed their luggage, walking down the hall towards their room. She inserted the key into the doorknob, and opened it to reveal a relatively average-sized room.

Not that either of them were complaining. They wouldn’t be spending too much time here anyway.

As predicted, Adora eventually collapsed face first onto the bed and was out in an instant. Catra went over to the balcony out the front of the room, and saw that they had chosen an almost perfect room.

The balcony gave them a view of the city, and the Eiffel Tower itself, in all of its glory.

As day turned to night and the city slowly became full of stars from the streetlights, Catra rested her elbow on the balcony railing and let out a sigh, smiling as she took in the atmosphere. The smell of this city, and the feeling of its air on her skin.

And as she took everything in, one thing pondered on her mind.

When would she ask Adora the question?


	3. Paris

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora and Catra enjoy the city of love. Catra asks Adora a question.

If all went right, today would be the day.

Catra could hear the traffic of Paris outside the hotel as she laid on one of the comfiest beds she had ever laid in. The pillow beneath her head felt like clouds, and the mattress almost sucked her in and refused to let go.

But of course, what made this bed amazing was the addition of her beautiful girlfriend by her side.

Adora laid on her stomach, her strong arm draped over Catra’s waist as she snored softly. Catra hadn’t seen Adora this relaxed in a long, long time. Without the stress of university, it seemed like this was Adora’s first proper sleep in four years.

The bright sun outside indicated that the two of them had slept in a fair amount. Not that Catra minded too much. Hopefully the jetlag Adora had endured would wear off by now, as cute as it was to see her stumbling around like she had one too many red wines.

Catra took a moment to look at her beautiful girlfriend. The smile never left her face as she looked at Adora’s long hair sprawled out onto the bed beneath them. Her arm holding Catra close. Even her gentle snores were cute to listen to.

But eventually, as Catra ran a hand through Adora’s hair, she awoke. Her eyes looking up at Catra as she finally regained consciousness. “Hey Adora,” Catra spoke softly to Adora as she came to. “How’re you feeling?”

“Mmmph…” Adora groaned, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she rolled onto her back. She looked around the hotel room. “I guess that whole Paris trip wasn’t a dream, then…?”

“We arrived just yesterday. But you were messed up from the flight,” Catra smirked. “You still feel any jetlag?”

“Nah…” Adora shook her head, chuckling softly to herself as she looked over to Catra. “I feel right at home with you,” Adora said as she reached out a hand, gently brushing her palm along Catra’s cheek as she looked up at her.

Catra put her hand over Adora’s and looked at the love of her life. Gently, she rolled over on top of Adora, mounting her and looking down at her. “You look gorgeous when you sleep,” Catra whispered, leaning down and pushing her forehead against Adora’s.

Adora let out a soft giggle. “You realize how creepy that sounds, right?” Adora whispered back with a teasing smirk.

“Oh, shut up,” Catra sighed, before Adora pulled her in for a kiss. Catra could feel Adora’s smirk in the kiss, but she didn’t really care. She let out a delightful sigh as she took Adora’s lips and closed her eyes.

It was everything she needed. She felt Adora rake her fingers through her short hair, and Catra brushed her palm along Adora’s cheek. They weren’t sure how long the kiss went on for, but eventually it had to end. It was Catra who pulled back, slowly leaning up, their lips coming apart at the slowest pace they could manage.

“We should save the rest for later,” Catra suggested, and Adora liked the sound of that. “What do you feel like doing today?”

“Hmm…” Adora pondered for a few seconds. “Well… I saw a café just outside the hotel when we arrived here yesterday afternoon. It was one of the few things my mushy brain could process. Maybe we can go there for breakfast after I have a shower?” Adora asked.

“That sounds lovely to me,” Catra replied, her nose bumping with Adora’s as she spoke. She rolled off Adora, letting her free as she laid back on the bed. As Adora slowly walked over to the bathroom to have her shower, Catra took the opportunity to grab her phone on the bedside table.

The first notification was a text from Double Trouble. Catra opened it as she heard the shower begin to run in the other room.

**DTpride55:** How are you two lovebirds going?

Catra knew that they wanted pictures, so she slowly got out of bed herself, going towards the balcony. She grabbed the curtains, pulling them apart as she stepped out into the fresh Paris air. The city was before her as she walked out onto the balcony, her bare feet against the cold floor.

Catra took a picture of the view before her, including the Eiffel Tower, and sent it to Double Trouble.

**NoPurr44:** This is just everything I needed. A beautiful view, and some time with Adora. We’re going to go exploring today.

**DTpride55:** I wish I could be there! But I don’t want to intrude on the time you two desperately need. I expect to hear all about it when you get back, doll.

**NoPurr44:** You will. I promise. We’re about to head out for breakfast. I’ll send you all the pics tonight.

**DTpride55:** That sounds wonderful, darling. Talk to you later!

Catra put her phone down and took a moment to simply lean on the balcony railing and look out at the city before her. The traffic beneath her going along smoothly, the finely crafted buildings surrounding her, and the beautiful tower in the distance. All contrasting against a deep, blue sky with only a few clouds in sight.

Catra took a deep breath in through her nose, and let it out through her mouth. The air was different, yet still beautiful. She looked all around herself, and let the gentle wind flow against her short hair. It was only a few moments before she heard the shower cut.

Catra went back inside to get into her actual clothes, which only consisted of a sleeveless white shirt and some denim shorts. As she was getting her clothes on, Adora emerged from the bathroom, rubbing her damp hair with a towel.

“You know, you can go ahead and order me something from the café. I’ll be down in a few minutes after I get changed, alright?” Adora suggested.

“Sure,” Catra nodded as she grabbed her backpack. Once she left the room, she went into the elevator and pushed the button for the bottom floor. And for a few moments, she was alone with just her thoughts.

She leaned her back against the elevator wall and let out a deep sigh. Her heart had been racing for the last few minutes, but it was much more noticeable now. She knew why she was panicking, but she also knew she had to push through it for both her and Adora’s sake. The plan needed to work.

Once the elevator reached the bottom floor, she walked out the front of the hotel, crossing the street over to the café. She ordered her and Adora’s usual favorite drinks, which they thankfully did have at this café, along with some omelettes for breakfast.

Catra decided to take a small table just outside the café so that she could take in more of the Paris atmosphere. It didn’t take long for her to spot Adora leaving the front of the hotel, looking around for Catra as she crossed the road.

Adora spotted Catra after a few seconds, and quickly went to go join her. “So… What do you think?” Catra asked as Adora took a seat on the table. “Liking Paris so far?”

“Like? Catra, I want to live here,” Adora said with a beaming smile as she looked all around herself. “I don’t know how to thank you for those tickets. How long did it take for you to save up for them?”

“A part of my pay for the last year went into affording these. It’s not as bad as it sounds. I’ve been having this in mind for a while now,” Catra answered as the waitress came and placed their hot drinks on the table before them. “I just wanted to give you some time to relax after graduation, really. Plus… I wanted to spend time with you in the most extra way I could think of.”

“Catra…” Adora sighed, placing her hand over her girlfriend’s. “Have I told you how much I love you?”

“Hmm… Maybe… But just for good measure, maybe you should do it again?” Catra teased. Adora chuckled, before leaning in and giving her a quick kiss.

“I love you so much,” Adora said, before taking her hands away and going for her morning coffee. Catra did the same, tasting her drink. It was certainly different to the café back home, but not necessarily in a bad way.

“No coffee will ever be as good as the one you used to make,” Adora said as she put her mug down. Catra scoffed.

“You know that’s not true,” Catra replied. Adora shook her head.

“Nope. I’m serious. I was so sad when you quit your barista job because I loved having your coffee almost every morning,” Adora explained, and Catra raised a teasing eyebrow to her girlfriend.

“Oh, did you enjoy my gruelling labor in order to give you hot brown morning potion every day? I’m so sorry to disappoint you,” Catra spoke sarcastically and Adora only took a sip from her coffee in response. “I do miss that job, though.”

“But it wasn’t paying you enough, right?” Adora asked, trying to remember back almost three and a half years ago.

“Pretty much. Trust me, I’d prefer that over the factory job right now, but that’s where I get the best pay. Even if the work is… less than stellar,” Catra said as she looked out towards the roads, watching the cars go by. “I guess that’s what I get for not getting a college degree.”

“Well, if you ask me, I think that’s a load of bullshit. You shouldn’t need some degree in order to a get a job that you both enjoy and get comfortably paid for,” Adora said. “Do you plan on finding somewhere different any time soon?”

“If I could work somewhere different, I would’ve by now. But… It’s hard finding anywhere that would hire me considering my… less than flattering school record,” Catra sighed. As she looked out towards the streets, she soon felt Adora’s hand placed over her own. Catra looked to her girlfriend, and saw concern in her eyes.

“Catra… I love you. I really appreciate everything you do for us. But if that job making you unhappy… I can find some other work along with a teaching job…” Adora squeezed Catra’s hand.

“Oh, no, Adora, you don’t need to do that,” Catra shook her head. “Yeah, the factory job isn’t the greatest, but it’s not like I completely hate it. Plus… Now that I have you to come home to, I think I’ll be a lot happier. I’m just being mopey,” Catra explained.

“Are you sure…?” Adora asked. “I promise, I’d be completely fine working two jobs if it meant you got to take it a little easier.”

“But then you’ll just be burdened,” Catra retorted. She put her hand over Adora’s. “I’m okay. I promise. Maybe we can hope for another job opportunity for me in the future, but for now, I’m fine where I am. It helps both of us. You just need to be the best damn teacher ever. That’s all you need to worry about.”

Adora looked to Catra for only a few more moments, and she knew there wasn’t much to argue. Catra’s job was the best she was going to get for the current time, and once Adora was able to find some work in teaching, perhaps it could take off some of the load from Catra’s shoulders, even if it was only a tad. For now, all they could do is simply be as they are.

“You’re incredible. You know that, right?” Adora asked. Catra only smirked in response.

“Yes… But it’s nice to hear it from you,” Catra replied. Adora could only scoff at Catra’s response.

Their breakfast mostly consisted of discussion of their holiday afterwards. Catra appreciated the small talk. Being able to just speak with Adora about anything in particular was a delight. She missed these moments where they weren’t always stressed about life and the future. Where the two of them could simply just love each other.

Plus, it helped take her mind off what she needed to do later that day.

* * *

“Whoa… That’s a lot of graffiti.”

As the day reached its mid afternoon, Adora and Catra stumbled upon a large wall of white text on a blue tiled background, with some red patches throughout the text. They had just gotten off eating lunch and were headed towards the large Ferris Wheel in the distance, but Adora had become distracted by almost every single thing they came across.

Not that Catra minded. She honestly found it quite cute how starry-eyed Adora was about the entire city. They already had three bags of shopping, with many more on the way no doubt. Both of them enjoyed going out like this, so it wasn’t a drag for either of them.

But now, Adora’s most recent distraction was in Montmarte, a large hill which sectioned off a northern part of the city. She had spotted the text-filled wall on the other side of the street. Catra turned her head to where Adora was pointing. “Oh, actually, I think I’ve heard about that. It’s not graffiti,” Catra pointed out.

“Really?” Adora asked as they crossed the street together, approaching the wall. Up close, the text seemed to be in a variety of different languages, some of which neither of them could read.

“Yeah, I know what this is!” Catra was suddenly reminded. “The wall of love. All of these words are just the phrase ‘I love you’ in a bunch of different languages.”

“Ooh, I see. That’s actually kind of cute,” Adora smiled as she looked at the text. “Hmm… Hey Catra?”

“Yes?” Catra turned to face her girlfriend. Adora squinted her eyes, looking at one of the phrases on the wall.

“J… Je… Je t’Aime…?” Adora tried saying one of the phrases, pronouncing the ‘je’ like ‘jay’, and the ‘t’aime’ like ‘time’. Catra looked to Adora like she had a third eye. “What? That means ‘I love you’ in… German, right?”

“I’m pretty sure you just tried to speak French, and horribly at that,” Catra said.

“Well, why don’t you try and pronounce one of these, since you’re so good at speaking every language!” Adora huffed, and Catra could only smirk in response.

“Hey, I can’t even read half of what’s on this wall. I don’t like embarrassing myself as much as you do,” Catra replied, but Adora crossed her arms.

“Just one phrase, Catra. Or don’t you love me?” Adora asked, raising an eyebrow. Catra knew she was teasing, but she was also fully aware of how stubborn Adora was when it came to certain things. And this was definitely going to be one of them.

Catra sighed, before looking at the board and finding the first phrase that she could read. “… Te quiero,” Catra said after a while.

“Hey, that one is way easier to pronounce than my one! Pick something different!” Adora retorted, but Catra simply held up a hand.

“You said just one, I did just one,” Catra said, before moving on from the wall. “Now come on, before you insult even more of the French language.”

“If I knew the French phrase for ‘shut up’, I’d use it about now,” Adora said as she caught up to her girlfriend. Despite her annoyance, she immediately held Catra’s hand as they walked. Catra knew she liked to jest. It was fun to push her buttons sometimes, and they knew each other’s boundaries well enough.

And from there, the walk to the Ferris Wheel would be filled with more distractions, but it also meant more time spent catching up on what they lost during Adora’s study years. The interactions, the teasing and the love they always wanted to share. Even watching Adora just trying on a few outfits was enough to make Catra’s day.

And it gave more time for Catra to somewhat cool her nerves for what was coming, as difficult as that was.

Another few hours of shopping and sightseeing later, and as the sun began to dip below the horizon, the two of them finally arrived at the Ferris Wheel in the Place de la Concorde, a major public square in Paris.

Surprisingly, the wait to get on wasn’t tremendously long, and the two of them were thankful to have a break from all the walking. As they entered a passenger car, Adora sat down with a deep sigh on one end of the car, while Catra did the same on the other side.

“I guess we’ve already blown most of our budget today?” Adora asked as she looked to the multiple bags of shopping they had left in a secure place on the ground as the car slowly began to rise with the Ferris Wheel’s movements.

“Probably. But I think it was worth it,” Catra responded with a shrug. “You look incredible in all those outfits we bought. You have to show Double Trouble when we get back. They will worship you.”

Adora chuckled as she looked around herself. Catra went over to sit next to Adora as the car raised to the very top of the Ferris Wheel, before coming to a stop in order to let some passengers off. This gave the couple some time to look at the city.

The view was perfect, almost similar to the one they had from their room in the hotel. The sun sinking below the horizon and the stars slowly beginning to come to life. They shared a silence as they looked at the city slowly turning on its lights, and the Eiffel Tower close by, slowly beginning to shine.

“This is nostalgic,” Adora said after a while. “Reminds me of that Ferris Wheel back at home, at the festival. Granted, that one is way smaller.”

“Yeah, I remember that,” Catra spoke as she looked to her girlfriend. “It’s one of those memories that’s etched into my mind. You looked so, so beautiful with that view behind you. And… well, even after all this time, you still look gorgeous.”

“So do you,” Adora smiled, running a hand through Catra’s hair. “Though, you used to have long hair back then.”

“Did you prefer it long?” Catra asked.

“I’m… in between,” Adora said. “The long hair is what I got used to, but the short hair… Well, I have no complaints either. Besides… Long hair or short hair, you’re still the Catra I know and love. The Catra I always will love.”

As Adora spoke, her hand glided around and rested on Catra’s cheek. Catra could only look at Adora with a smile that would never leave her face. “Catra…” Adora whispered. “Do you… realize how beautiful you are? Like… truly?”

“You’re a dork…” Catra shook her head.

“I’m serious,” Adora said with a stern tone. “You’re… I can’t even begin to describe how happy you make me. I really, really, really appreciate you in every way. And… I feel like I haven’t shown that appreciation well enough, with me being away so much…” she admitted. Catra’s eyes returned to Adora’s, and she saw sadness on Adora’s face.

“Adora…” Catra ran a hand over Adora’s on her cheek. “You’re doing something you want to do. Going to university… Making your own future… I’m so proud of you. And yet, you always keep me in your mind… You show me how much you love me every day, whether it’s through a text or sending me a song. Just because you’re not here in person sometimes doesn’t mean I think less of you. I miss you, of course… But I never doubted your love,” Catra said.

“Are you sure…?” Adora asked, her eyebrows narrowing together in worry.

“I’m absolutely sure. Sometimes I wonder why you even love me so much… But I know that love is there, whether I understand it or not,” Catra replied. She knew her words were the right ones, as a smile soon returned to Adora’s face.

“Heh… I don’t need a reason to love you, even if I could list a million. I just do,” Adora said. Her hand slowly came away from Catra’s cheek. “Oh, I just remembered…” Adora suddenly said, reaching into her pocket as the Ferris Wheel began to move again.

“What’s up?” Catra asked.

“Well, back when I was in high school, I thought I’d always become an Olympic runner… And I was going to travel the world, competing in events…” Adora pulled out her phone. “And when I told Glimmer about my dreams, she always said to me, ‘send me pictures when you make it to Paris’. It was a joke, but…” Adora shrugged. “I feel like fucking with her.”

Catra scoffed. “I love it,” she smirked as Adora took pictures of the Paris landscape to send to Glimmer. As Catra watched Adora take pictures, she felt the bundle of anxiety building in her stomach. Every second, Catra could’ve sworn she was about to explode. It was now or never.

As Adora took the pictures, Catra spoke up. “Uh… Hey, you know where you could probably get the best pictures?” Catra asked, interrupting Adora.

“Hm?” Adora asked.

Slowly, Catra pointed off into the distance. Adora followed Catra’s finger, and saw where she was pointing: The very top of the Eiffel Tower. The one place they wanted to visit the most but hadn’t yet. Catra wordlessly made the suggestion.

And Adora needed no time to ponder it. She turned to Catra with a grin. “Sounds perfect.”

* * *

The gentle wind swaying through Adora’s hair, combined with the lights of the city before her as she looked over the balcony on the top of the Eiffel Tower, made for one of the most beautiful sights Catra had ever seen in her life.

She felt the wind blow against her face as she looked to her girlfriend. Even with the most gorgeous city before her, her eyes never left Adora. The woman she met in high school who had changed her life for the better.

There was barely anyone else around. The night sky surrounded them, but the light from the city and the tower they stood on was enough to brighten up the world. Catra had gone off to take a few deep breaths, readying herself.

Her stomach felt like it was being crushed. Her heart was beating rapidly, and she could feel every pulse. She felt around her pocket, and eventually, she swallowed down as much nervousness as she could. It was this moment that would change everything.

Slowly, she approached Adora, putting her hands on the balcony ledge. Neither of them had a fear of heights, thankfully, since they were nearly at the very top of the tower, as high as they could go. Catra felt Adora lean her head on her shoulder.

“This about everything you were hoping for on this trip?” Adora asked her girlfriend. Catra looked down to her. She took in the smell of her hair. Her warm smile. Her gentle eyes.

“Well… You can’t deny that view,” Catra pointed out, looking towards the city. “But… it isn’t everything I hoped for just yet.”

Adora looked up. “Why’s that?” She asked.

Catra tapped her hand against the railing, taking in a few more breaths. “… Well…” She cleared her throat, pushing through the nervousness that was trying to smother her. “I…” She tried to get the words out, but they caught in her throat.

“Catra? You okay?” Adora asked. Catra looked to her. She saw the concern. The love. Everything she needed in her life.

Everything she needed in that moment.

“… Adora… We met over fours years ago. Hell, it’s nearly five at this rate. And… I remember the first time I laid eyes on you when I walked into that classroom,” Catra started. “I remember the anxiety of being in a new class… A new school… After all, there was already rumors spreading about me. About how I got expelled from my last school… And as everyone looked at me with either fear, confusion, mockery or blank stares… I remember your eyes the most. You had a look of… curiosity. Not judgement.”

Adora simply listened as Catra talked. She had to keep speaking, because she felt like she was going to throw up otherwise. “Ever since then, you… You’ve changed my life, Adora. You helped me in becoming my own person. You helped me become strong enough to stand up to Shadow Weaver. You helped me become happier with life. Simply saying ‘I love you’ a thousand times a day will never be enough to show how much you mean to me… How special you are to me…”

Catra backed away slightly, and Adora turned to face her. “But… There’s one thing I can do. One thing I’ve been wanting to do for a while. Our future is ahead of us, and… I can’t imagine it without you. I want to love you for the rest of my life. I want to be with you in every single way I can. I want… you. So…”

Slowly, Catra began to sink down onto one knee.

Adora’s eyes widened and she felt her entire body go numb as Catra reached into her pocket, pulling out a small black box. Catra’s body wasn’t stopping, and she never wanted it to stop. Ever since they met, ever since Adora won that race, ever since that first kiss in Mystacor, ever since she moved in with Adora, she had dreamt of a moment like this. All of it would be worth it.

She held up the black box, and opened it to reveal a ring. All eyes were on them, but they only cared about each other. Catra couldn’t help but laugh, which felt weird, but it was the only to push through the anxiety as she took a breath.

“Will you… Will you marry me, Adora?”

Adora’s expression hadn’t changed from the moment Catra went down on one knee. And even after those fateful words, an agonizing silence followed. Adora was completely paralyzed, simply looking down at her girlfriend as she gave her everything she had.

The silence could’ve killed Catra. It was only a few seconds, but they felt like years. She had to hold back her breath so she wouldn’t begin hyperventilating, and Catra did her best to keep her cool amongst all the panic. She swallowed down her anxiety, but more built up.

Eventually, senses began to return to Adora, and the first thing she did was simply let out a small amount of laughter.

Catra wasn’t sure how to interpret it. She was confused about the whole situation, and she felt like she was going to pass out. Eventually, Adora shook her head in disbelief. “Are you kidding me…?” Adora said. Her first words since Catra’s proposal.

Immediately, Catra felt her heart sink deep. The words sounded like the beginning of a rejection, and her mind flashed with her worst nightmares. That this was going to ruin everything. That she had taken it too far too soon. Maybe it was too obvious. The anxiety was overflowing.

“I… I’m sorry…” Catra whispered, dejected. Her eyes lowered as she slowly began to close the box. She knew this was what could’ve happened, but she never wanted to imagine the rejection. It hurt her heart more than anything.

Immediately, Adora waved her hands. “No! No, no, no, Catra, it’s fine!” Adora immediately spoke up frantically as she saw Catra’s sad look. The situation only grew more confusing, and Catra looked up to see Adora still holding back her laughter.

And before Catra could react, Adora also sunk down onto one knee.

Catra’s mind raced. She had no idea what Adora was doing. She was still convinced she was in some nightmare. Adora reached into the pocket of her pants, and to Catra’s utter shock, she also pulled out a small black box. Adora’s eyes welled with tears as she, too, opened the box to reveal a ring.

“I…” Adora let out a happy sob. “I had the exact same idea as you…”

Catra looked at the ring for a few seconds, before her tearful eyes gazed into Adora’s. She saw the droplets forming and rolling down her cheeks. “You… You, too…?” Catra asked, her voice barely choking out through her tight throat.

Adora nodded. “I was about five seconds away from doing it…”

Catra felt her lips wobbling immensely as she smiled. A smile bigger than any she had ever had. “So… So is that a yes…?” Catra asked, even though she knew it was an obvious question. The tears had already began to drop down her cheeks. She didn’t care.

“Catra…” Adora placed the box down and gently put both her hands on Catra’s cheeks. “Nothing would make me happier than to be your wife… I love you so much… And I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So… yes. A thousand, million times… Yes. I’ll marry you,” Adora said enthusiastically.

Catra let out a sigh of relief, and a chuckle was mixed in. The tears only became more intense, and she could no longer find any words to say. So, she expressed her thanks in the only way she knew how. She pressed her lips passionately against Adora’s on the top of the Eiffel Tower, with the glowing city before them.

She was engaged. She was engaged to Adora. It was everything she had dreamt of, and even more.

And the anxiety that had been building slowly melted into the most joy Catra had felt in her life.


	4. Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A year after their proposal in Paris, Catra and Adora finally have their wedding ceremony. But it is interrupted by an unexpected guest.

“Okay, on a scale of one to ten, how stressed are you?”

“Eleven.”

Neither Double Trouble nor Scorpia could help Catra as she frantically paced back and forth in her dressing room, taking in deep, yet panicked breaths. She had managed to get into her suit, one that she had been gifted by Double Trouble, but now she was beginning to have second thoughts.

“Okay… Talk to me. What are you stressed about?” Scorpia asked. “Maybe getting your thoughts out there will help recontextualize them and make them not so stressful!”

Catra stopped for a few seconds, rubbing her forehead as she let out a sigh. “I’m stressed that Adora will change her mind about this whole wedding. I’m stressed that it’s somehow going to rain on that beach out there. I’m stressed that I’m going to mess up somehow. I’m stressed about… Fuck, Scorpia, this isn’t helping!” Catra said.

“Okay, okay,” Scorpia put her hands up. “But at least we gave it a shot. You should be proud of yourself for that, alright?”

“Why’d we have to have it on a beach?! What was I thinking?” Catra cursed herself, running a hand through her longer hair, the ends of it touching just the top of her shoulder blades. “Inside is always safer, but no, we just had to have it on a beach!”

“Darling, we can’t change it now, as much as you might want to. Besides, the weather looks gorgeous for miles,” Double Trouble calmed her. “You have your vow written out and all?”

“Yeah…” Catra nodded, straightening the tie on her suit. “I just want this to go well. I almost had a heart attack when I proposed to her in Paris last year. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to survive this,” Catra admitted.

“You’ll do great!” Scorpia encouraged Catra. “Catra, just think about it this way. After this wedding is said and done, Adora is going to be your wife. Just think on that for a bit.”

As Catra put her hands In her pockets, she closed her eyes and imagined the future. Being able to have a house with Adora. Having a life with her. She never imagined herself having a wife, and yet she was only a few minutes away from being declared married.

The feelings flooding through Catra’s heart were immense. She was so, so happy for this day. They had been planning to have the wedding on a beach for months, and Double Trouble was right in that the orange sunset outside looked spectacular.

But those overwhelming feelings also translated to an immense amount of anxiety. Catra and Adora had decided to be a little traditional in that they hadn’t seen each other for a while before this wedding day. They didn’t even know what their partner’s outfit looked like. It sounded like fun, but it had translated to an insane amount of worry for Catra.

“How likely do you think Adora will change her mind on this whole thing?” Catra asked. “We’ve only been in a relationship for five years and we’re getting married… Won’t she think that’s a bit too much of a rush?”

“Did she ever say you two were taking things too fast?” Double Trouble asked.

“No…” Catra shook her head. “But still! Maybe it’s all suddenly dawning on her! Maybe…”

“Catra,” Double Trouble spoke sternly, putting their hands on her shoulders and looking her in the eyes. They held that look for a while, simply stopping Catra and just letting her sit in silence for a few seconds. “I understand your anxiety. But I can tell you what’s going to happen.”

“You can…?” Catra asked.

“You’re going to go out there and wait for a few minutes. And then you’re going to see Adora walk down that aisle. You’re going to make your vows, put your rings on each other’s fingers, and share your first kiss as wives. And it’s probably going to make me cry,” Double Trouble spoke in a dead serious tone. But soon, they put on a comforting smile. “And all of this anxiety you’re having will just be something you’ll laugh about later. Like on that night at the prom, back in high school.”

Catra listened to each word, and she knew they were right. She knew this anxiety was mostly baseless. And slowly, she took a deep breath in through her nose, and out through her mouth. “Do you think that’s going to happen, Scorpia?” Catra asked for some verification.

“Oh, the only thing I can add to that is that I’m going to be bawling my eyes out,” Scorpia said. She wrapped an arm around Catra. “You’re going to be fine. And Adora is going to be so happy to see you. I promise.”

Catra’s heart was still racing, but after a few seconds, she eventually nodded. “… I’m going to trust you two on that,” she said after a while, before backing up a bit and taking one last deep breath. “I guess I should be heading out there now?”

Double Trouble nodded. “We’ll be right by your side.”

Scorpia did the same. “Always.”

Catra looked between the two of them. She saw their smiles and their encouragement. And eventually, she turned around to face the door, letting out a long, deep sigh. “Well… Let’s do this, I guess,” Catra shrugged.

“Maybe with a bit more enthusiasm,” Double Trouble suggested as they walked towards the door. Catra looked at them for a few seconds, and took a breath.

“Let’s get fucking married!” Catra spoke loudly to herself, pushing through the anxiety and nerves bundling in her systems.

“That’s the spirit!” Scorpia slapped Catra on the back as they left the dressing room and headed towards the wedding on the beach. Most of the audience were already seated, even if it was a small crowd. The endless ocean as behind the whole set-up, and the sky was a clear orange.

As Catra walked towards the stage near the front of the aisle, she saw a load of familiar faces in those seats. Perfuma, Huntara, Glimmer, Bow, Entrapta and many others she had mostly met in her last year of schooling. She and Adora had taken special care to only invite a few people they really cared about.

Catra’s suit got a bit of attention too. It was a contrast of a white button shirt and black suit jacket and pants, which looked traditional, but it was what Catra liked the most out of all the suggestions that came her way. She never thought she’d be able to afford it, but Double Trouble helped her with budgeting.

Catra stood up in front of everyone, the only other person on stage being the officiant, who she had only spoken to a few weeks in advance. She seemed nice, and genuinely supportive of their relationship. Catra was just glad there hadn’t been too many speedbumps in planning this wedding. Her and Adora took extra care to make sure all the places they had purchased things like cakes and decorations from were supportive of same-sex weddings.

“You feeling alright?” The officiant asked Catra as they waited for Adora.

“Is it that obvious I’m nervous?” Catra asked with a slight chuckle. The officiant shook her head.

“Not at all, dear. Everyone gets nervous at their own wedding. But I tend to find that things slowly calm down once people get to see their partner,” the officiant explained. Her eyes gazed towards the aisle. “Oh, and here she comes!”

Catra slowly turned her head to face the aisle. And there, she saw something she’d never forget.

As the sounds of gentle waves from the beach filled her ears, Catra saw Adora walk down the aisle by herself. She wore a long, flowing, beautiful white dress, and a golden headband which almost looked like a crown. Her long, golden hair almost sparkled under the orange afternoon sunset, and the droplets in her eyes were more clear than ever.

Catra could look in wonderment as Adora walked towards her. The beautiful smile on her face as she looked at her future wife in a lovely suit almost brought tears to Catra’s eyes, and she wasn’t sure why. She had seen Adora smile so much. And yet, today of all days, it was somehow more beautiful than ever.

Eventually, Adora stood up on the small stage and faced Catra. It had been a little over twenty-four hours since they had last seen each other, and while Adora seemed full of confidence and joy, Catra had to do everything in her power to not pass out from all the feelings clogging her senses.

Catra knew her hands were shaking. But as she raised them and slowly held Adora’s hands in her own, that shaking soon ceased. And when Adora rubbed her thumb over Catra’s palm, every bit of stress and anxiety almost completely left Catra’s mind.

It was all replaced by love.

Catra realized after a few moments that the officiant had already been speaking. The words barely processed in her head. She had been so lost in Adora’s touch and eyes that everything else seemed insignificant. She smiled, and it only seemed to make Adora feel even more joy.

The orange sunset glowing on them sparkled within Adora’s eyes. The words of the officiant were mixed with the sounds of a gentle ocean. Adora’s soft hands were delicate to touch, and Catra soon realized that this is everything she had ever wanted.

She couldn’t help thinking back five years to the night she cried in Adora’s arms. How safe she felt in that closeness, and how much she desired for more of that. The comfort and kindness that Adora brought around wherever she went. Catra always wanted that for the rest of her life.

She almost wanted to kiss Adora right now, even if it would’ve been poorly timed. She wanted to show her gratitude. Her happiness. She wanted to show Adora every bit of her love. Because Adora deserved all of it.

“And now, for the vows,” the officiant said, suddenly snapping Catra from her trance of love. Adora was first up, and she slowly pulled a small sheet of paper from the very small pocket on her dress. Catra never had much of a way with words, so she was sure that whatever Adora said would outrank her vow by a lot.

Adora read through her note for a few seconds, before putting it down and looking Catra in the eyes. “Catra…” Adora started. “When I first saw you walk into that classroom… I felt like my life was going to be changed just by your presence. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m pretty easily distracted in class… But you were different. And I’m sure you remember the amount of staring I did.”

Catra could only smirk in response as Adora continued. “I love you. It’s been five years since I told you those words in that small studio apartment of mine. I remember how much we fought for this relationship… We’ve been through a lot. And the ride hasn’t stopped. I know there’s more to come. Moments of highs and lows. Through thick and thin, I vow to you that I will be by your side. And I’ll always give you the extra push you need, just like you’ve done for me.”

Adora blinked a few times, and Catra noticed some tears forming at the corner of her eyes. She wiped them with her thumb. “I love you, Catra. I promise, here and now, that I will always love you. And I vow to you… I will do my best to be the wife you deserve. You are so incredible and understanding. And I love every bit of you. Thank you for everything. And thank you for giving me a future I thought I could only dream of.”

Catra was right about one thing. Adora’s vow was going to make her own look like trash. But at this point, Catra wasn’t nervous about it. She was more worried about getting through it all without crying. She had remembered to recite hers constantly, and remembered it by heart.

“I met you at a very strange point in my life,” Catra started, holding both of Adora’s hands. “Expelled… Hopeless… And in a situation I didn’t want to be in. And anyone else would look at me and think of me as weak, or someone who needed saving. But… You were different. You never looked down on me. You never overstepped boundaries. You never tried to force me into anything, or tried to take control of my life. And I don’t think I can express my thanks enough for that.”

Catra already felt the tears forming when she saw Adora’s lips wobble. “You helped me in becoming a better version of myself… And standing up to those who wronged me. That’s what I love about you. You don’t view me as someone to coddle. You see me as equal. So I vow to you that I will love you for the rest of my life. I vow to you to make our future bright, no matter how much we have to fight for it. And I vow to you, no matter what happens, you’ll always have my hand to hold and my shoulder to lean on.”

Catra let out an accidental sob, but she quickly recovered. “I love you, Adora. And I can’t wait for our future together.”

Catra heard a few sobs from the audience, and she knew the prime suspects were Double Trouble, Scorpia and Bow. But her eyes never left Adora’s. And as she put her ring on Adora’s left ring finger, she knew that this was real. That this was actually happening. Adora would actually be her wife.

Adora’s ring fit perfectly on Catra’s finger in exchange. Catra never thought she’d have a ring on this finger. But she would want to take it off as less as possible. It served as a reminder of the love she had found and fought for.

“And with this…” the officiant looked between the two of them. “I now pronounce you wife and wife,” she declared. And yet, Catra didn’t even wait for the rest of the sentence to be finished before she placed a hand on Adora’s cheek and leaned forward.

And for the first time, as a married couple, Adora and Catra shared a kiss on the beach, the sunlight basking them on a gorgeous orange glow. Their smiles never faded. Their hearts never calmed. And yet, for both of them, it was one of the best moments of their lives.

The kiss that sealed their future.

* * *

The taste of champagne and the smell of the ocean were all that came to Adora’s senses after having a few too many drinks.

She stood with her now-wedded wife by the snack table, watching the dance floor and seeing everyone they had invited mingle and get almost as drunk as Adora currently is. It had only been a couple of hours since they shared their first kiss as wives, but the high the two of them were riding on hadn’t been let down once.

“Hey Catra,” Adora smirked towards her.

“Yes?” Catra asked. Adora chuckled for a bit, before pointing at her.

“You’re my wife now,” Adora slurred, laughing as she spoke. Catra didn’t understand the joke. She wasn’t even sure if there was a joke in the first place.

“Mmhmm. I’m your wife now,” Catra nodded, and this somehow made Adora laugh even more as she leaned on the side of Catra’s body. “I think cutting you off from the alcohol for the rest of the night was probably a good idea.”

“I’m married! I can do what I want!” Adora declared, looking up to her wife and simply smiling. “You look… so good tonight.”

“Is that so?” Catra asked. Adora loosely ran a hand through Catra’s long hair.

“Like… This suit… And your hair… Ugh, why are you so beautiful…?” Adora moped, burying her face into Catra’s suit yet again, almost moping.

“Is me being beautiful upsetting to you?” Catra asked with a smirk. Adora sniffled, before looking up at her wife yet again.

“It makes me look bad in comparison!” Adora moped. Catra scoffed, before rubbing the top of Adora’s head like she would to a child.

“You look beautiful too, Adora. You’re getting upset over nothing,” Catra smiled, before her hand glided down to hold Adora’s. “So… What do you say to one more dance? After that, we’ll probably get you home before you pass out. You are not going to feel well tomorrow.”

“It’ll be worth it,” Adora chuckled. She rarely drank in the first place, but her own wedding was an occasion she decided to go all out for. It should’ve been embarrassing for Catra to have her own wife be in this state, but more than anything, she just found it extremely cute.

Catra held Adora close as they moved to the center of the dance floor. The warm wind of the beach felt soothing onto Catra’s skin as she wrapped an arm around Adora’s waist, holding her hand at the same time as they moved together in a routine they had almost become experts at.

“So… Scorpia told me something earlier,” Adora spoke as they moved together.

“And what’s that?” Catra asked, holding her wife up.

“Were you completely freaking out before the wedding?” Adora asked. The question sent a few chills up Catra’s spine, but the look on her face was enough to answer Adora. “I get having nerves, but… Did you really think I’d change my mind at the last second?”

“I…” Catra hesitated for a few seconds, before simply letting out a sigh. “I didn’t mean anything against you. It’s just… I’m… I’m not used to things going this right in my life. There always has to be some catch. I… don’t know how to handle things actually working out smoothly.”

She couldn’t look in Adora’s eyes as they held each other. She felt awful. She knew it was just baseless anxiety and that Adora would never ditch her like that at the last second. But her mind always brought out the worst-case scenario. And it always hurt.

But eventually, Catra heard a sob. She looked up to see Adora was actually crying. “A… Adora?” Catra said.

“That’s so sad!” Adora relentlessly sobbed, burying her face into Catra’s chest and crying louder than what was probably necessary. “You’re so amazing and you deserve to be happy! Your brain is dumb for thinking I’d leave you!”

“Um…” Catra looked around to see some of her friends looking at them. Thankfully, most of them understood the situation and the amount of drinks Adora had to get to this point. “Hey… I’m okay, Adora. It was just anxiety messing with me. I know you’d never leave me. I just… I always think about the worst things. And I know it’s something I need to stop doing.”

Adora sniffled. “I’ll be here for you always… Okay?” Adora said, looking into Catra’s eyes. “I love you so much…”

“I love you too. I believe you, Adora. And I trust you,” Catra smiled, running her thumb over Adora’s cheek. She thought about sharing a kiss, even if Adora’s breath smelt like alcohol. But just before she could, she suddenly heard Double Trouble’s voice calling out in the distance.

“C… Catra! Catra, we’ve got a situation!” They called out. Catra’s head raised up and she soon saw that someone was walking in on their wedding uninvited. “I tried to tell her to leave but she wouldn’t listen!” They said. Catra couldn’t get a good look at whoever just entered.

She pushed through the small crowd and walked towards the front entrance. And eventually, she saw who it was. Icy cold chills shot down Catra’s spine, and she felt her throat tighten to a point where she could barely breath.

Shadow Weaver stood before her.

She had simply walked through the front entrance, ignoring everyone telling her to leave. She knew she was uninvited. She didn’t care. Adora stood by Catra’s side as she looked at her adoptive mother, who she hadn’t seen in five years. “Catra…” Shadow Weaver spoke softly, almost admiring her.

The party had almost gone completely dead silent. Catra could only stare at Shadow Weaver with wide eyes, and any words that came were simply caught in her throat. Adora wasn’t sure if she should grab Catra’s hand or not.

“I… see you chose a lovely location for your wedding,” Shadow Weaver said. She kept waiting for Catra to respond, and yet she just stood there. Her shock slowly turning into a venomous scowl. “I won’t take up too much of your time. I just want to tell you something. In private, if we can.”

“No,” Catra shook her head. “I am not letting you do this again.”

“I am not trying to ‘do’ anything, Catra,” Shadow Weaver immediately said, but this only infuriated Catra even more.

“You decide to crash my wedding… To make it all about yourself?” Catra asked. She went to go step towards Shadow Weaver, but her legs refused to move. They were shaking. Shadow Weaver sighed.

“That was not my intention… If you would just listen…” Shadow Weaver attempted to speak.

“Did you… not hear me all those years ago?” Catra asked. “I told you… I never wanted to see you again. I think we seemed pretty fucking clear on that. I have found my happiness, and you played no part in it. I am not letting you control me again. I am not letting you do whatever you want. Go back to your miserable home. Get out.”

“Catra…” Shadow Weaver spoke, but it was the last straw.

“GET OUT OF MY LIFE!” Catra screamed suddenly. She could see it startled everyone around her, even Adora. Immediately, Catra realized what she had just done. What Shadow Weaver had led her to do. She felt a part of her come to the surface that she never wanted to see. This anger and hatred.

Shadow Weaver looked to Catra for a few seconds, before simply sighing. “As you wish,” she responded, before turning and walking away without another word. Catra’s legs almost gave away once Shadow Weaver had left. Everyone looked at her in shock. No one was sure what to do.

Catra turned to Adora. Her smile was gone. Regret flooded into Catra’s senses, and she simply let out a sigh. “I’m sorry…” Catra spoke softly.

“What?” Adora shook her head. “Why are you sorry? She barged in on our wedding. She knew the effect it would have on you.”

“And I let her get to me. I’m… I’m still the same as back then. Nothing’s changed,” Catra spoke softly. Adora tried to give more words of encouragement, but Catra cut her off. “You don’t have to worry. I’ll be alright. Just… This day is about us. Not her. Let’s… Let’s keep it that way.”

Adora looked to Catra for a few more seconds, and eventually, she nodded. But wordlessly, Catra grabbed Adora’s hand as the party slowly began to pick up the noise, and things returned to normal. Adora squeezed Catra’s hand. She’d never let go.

Through thick and thin, she vowed.

* * *

The encounter with Shadow Weaver still hadn’t left Catra’s mind as she sat by herself on the bed, her knees bunched up to her chest as the memories of her past flooded in.

It was extremely late at night, and Adora was getting a shower in the other room to mostly help the intense hangover that she was going to have in the morning. The apartment felt warm, but Catra’s heart felt cold. She hadn’t seen Shadow Weaver in years. Her voice was still the same.

Catra looked at her hands. She knew what they had done. She raked her fingers through her hair, and let out a shuddered sigh. Burying her face in her knees, she punched herself on the back of the head, though not too hard. “Stupid… Stupid…” She whispered to herself.

“Stop that,” Catra heard as she felt Adora grab her wrist. Catra looked up to her wife, wrapped in a towel, her hair damp from the shower. She seemed a bit more aware of her surroundings now. Catra lowered her arms, but still kept herself bundled into a ball as Adora sat next to her.

“I’m sorry for ruining today,” Catra mumbled, but she soon felt Adora’s arm wrap around her shoulder.

“I already told you. You don’t need to apologize. She barged in for no good reason. But… that doesn’t change the fact that I’m still your wife. We’re still together. You didn’t ruin anything,” Adora tried to encourage her, but Catra’s mood wouldn’t change.

“I… I felt it again. That… That rage. That anger. It’s the same thing that got me in that fight in high school… It’s what got me expelled,” Catra said. “I promised myself I would never let that anger overtake me again. But… I broke that promise. I let her get to me. I let her… I…” Catra sighed. “It’s all my fault…”

Adora looked at her wife. She wrapped her other arm around Catra, holding her close as Catra leaned onto Adora’s body. “It’s not your fault. I know my words might not do much right now, but none of this is your fault. You’re allowed to be upset. It just means you’re human. I was a little startled, yes, but you’re still the same person I fell in love with. Even after all this time.”

“Exactly…” Catra replied with a hoarse whisper.

“What was that?” Adora asked, not quite hearing Catra’s words.

“… Nevermind,” Catra shook her head. “I just… I’m supposed to be better than Shadow Weaver. She’s spiteful and twisted… And I thought I’d never be like her. But that anger that comes out when I see her…” Catra tried to get more words out, but nothing came that could quite describe her sorrow. So she simply sighed, and cuddled with Adora.

“I love you,” Adora whispered, kissing the top of Catra’s head. “You’re safe here. You know that, right?”

“I know…” Catra replied. She felt Adora’s hand rest on her cheek, and she finally raised her head up to look into Adora’s eyes. She looked to Adora’s lips, and soon enough, she pushed forward to take them with her own.

Adora’s kiss always soothed things. The towel gently slipped from Adora’s body as they deepened the kiss, and Catra eventually raised her hands to put them on Adora’s cheeks. She took in the warm kiss. She felt Adora hold her close. It was enough to numb the pain.

In a sudden turn of events, Adora’s lips soon traced Catra’s jawline, gently nibbling at the sensitive skin. Catra let out a soft gasp, and Adora soon backed away. “Do you… Do you want to do it tonight?” She asked before going any further.

Catra pondered for a few seconds, and soon, she shook her head. “I… I think I’m okay with just cuddling.”

Adora nodded. “Okay. I’ll just get something comfortable to wear,” she smiled, giving Catra one last kiss on the forehead. As she left the bed temporarily, Catra took a moment to finally lay down, letting her head sink into the pillow.

She raised her left hand up, looking at the ring on her finger. It slightly shimmered under the moonlight, and she smiled as she gazed upon the beauty of Adora’s love. As Adora climbed into bed with Catra and wrapped an arm around her stomach, Catra felt more love than sorrow.

She was upset. Angry, even. She wanted to scream and throw things at Shadow Weaver. But none of that would change or fix anything. And so, she cuddled with her wife. She chose love over misery. She chose joy over sorrow. Even though it would’ve been easier to simply go over to Shadow Weaver’s house and burn it all down.

“… Hey Catra?” Adora spoke up.

“Yeah?” Catra asked, turning to face her wife.

“I…” Adora cleared her throat. “Maybe this is… some of the alcohol talking. But… I just want to ask…” Adora looked up into Catra’s eyes. “Have you… ever thought about kids?”

Catra was surprised at the sudden question. Especially after having a wedding just that day. But she’d be lying if she said the thought never came to mind. “I’m… I’m not sure. I mean… I’ve thought about it. Definitely. But… I don’t know if I’d be cut out for it.”

“It’s not something you need to decide right away. We’ve only just gotten married,” Adora said. “I just… I’ve always thought about it. Not because it’s expected of us or whatever. Married couples don’t always need children. I just… wouldn’t be opposed to the idea of maybe just one kid.”

“I’m not fully against the idea… But I don’t know if I’m fully for it either,” Catra said. She looked up at the ceiling for a few seconds, before shrugging. “It’s like you said. I don’t think it’s something I can decide right away. But I’ll keep it in the back of my mind. And I’ll let you know if I made a decision. Does that sound okay?”

Adora nodded. “Take all the time you need. It took me nearly half a year to realize I was a lesbian once you walked in on my life. I think you’re allowed to take things slow,” Adora chuckled. Catra smiled down at her, and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

“Good night, wifey,” Catra whispered, laying down and letting Adora cuddle her from behind.

“Good night,” Adora whispered back.

The thought of kids never left Catra’s mind. The idea of having a family with Adora. She kept weighing up the pros and cons, and all seemed like valid points. But most of all, Catra was unsure of her own ability to be a mother after being raised by Shadow Weaver.

She’d never want to put a kid through the childhood she went through. And in order to do that, it might be safer to never have kids at all. But at the same time, it’s something that would make both her and Adora happy. Something they could be proud of together.

Catra never reached a decision that night. She wasn’t sure when she would. But the question would always be there.

And she knew she’d have Adora through whatever decision they made.


	5. Double Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Double Trouble isn't responding to any calls, so Adora and Catra go check on them. The question of kids is in the back of Catra's mind.

Of all the things Catra could grow used to in life, waking up and knowing Adora was her wife was definitely one of them.

As she awoke on a Monday morning with the day off work, she saw Adora sitting in the kitchen downstairs on her laptop. She had mentioned job searching yesterday, so Catra suppose that’s what she’d be up to. If anything, the most likely place she’d teach at would be Bright Moon Academy, of all places.

Catra yawned, and Adora could hear it from downstairs. “Morning, wifey,” Adora called out from below. Catra chuckled, rubbing the sleep out of her eye with the back of her hand.

“How long have you been up?” Catra asked as she got out of bed, putting on a long, silver hoodie and some sweatpants. She’d get changed into proper clothes later, but for now, she needed to make breakfast and talk with her wife.

“About half an hour. I got a few emails back about job offers and such,” Adora mentioned as she closed her laptop, smiling at Catra as she descended down the stairs. “It’s going pretty good. I might get an interview this week with Bright Moon.”

“That’s my girl,” Catra smiled, giving Adora a quick kiss as the morning sun shined in through the apartment window. “Anything in particular you want for breakfast, or should it be chef’s choice?”

“You’ve never let me down with chef’s choice,” Adora said. Catra nodded, and made her way over to the kitchen just a few steps from the dining table. As she went to the fridge to grab out some homemade bacon and a carton of eggs, her mind wandered to a few things.

Namely, the question Adora asked a couple of weeks ago about having kids.

It still stuck with her, even through the days of work and the nights of quiet. Adora had been incredibly patient with her, but sooner or later, Catra knew she needed to reach a decision. And yet, no matter what thought came to mind, there was another thought to contradict it.

Having a child would make Adora and Catra happy. But for how long? It would mean a proper family. But what about the finances? The child would have Adora as a mother. But what about Catra herself? Her confidence in her ability to be a mother was the biggest hindrance.

She had no doubt Adora would do great as a mother. But Catra had little faith in herself, and no one to look up to. After all, that encounter with Shadow Weaver back at the wedding was still on her mind. Her anger getting the best of her.

Adora told her that she had every right to be angry, and most of her friends agreed. But Catra didn’t see it that way. She saw it as Shadow Weaver getting the best of her. She saw it as an example of how she still hasn’t changed, even after all this time.

And if she was still the same person, if she still let her anger get the best of her, then what would that mean for the child?

It was still the same thoughts as always, and yet it still reached no conclusion.

Catra decided to put those thoughts aside for now as she sliced off a few cuts of homemade bacon, before placing it on a cast iron pan set over medium-low heat. Making things like bread, pasta and bacon at home both made for more delicious versions of the food, but it was also therapeutic for Catra. It helped calm her senses and she almost got lost in making the food.

As the bacon fat rendered out in the pan, Adora sighed loudly behind Catra. “Everything alright?” Catra asked as she grabbed an egg, cracking it in one hit against the counter and opening it with one hand over the pan, frying it in the bacon fat.

“I’ve been trying to call DT but I’m getting no response. I figured they’d might want to catch up this weekend,” Adora said as she looked at her phone. “They usually always pick up unless they’re busy or at an event, and they didn’t mention one happening right now.”

“Maybe they’re sleeping in?” Catra asked as she cracked a fourth egg into the pan. The bacon and eggs all frying with the beautiful sizzling sounds.

“On a Monday morning? They’re usually up by now,” Adora said, before shaking her head. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m just being paranoid.”

“I think it’s fair to be worried sometimes,” Catra said as she plated up the bacon and eggs, as well as grabbing some orange juice from the fridge and pouring a glass of that for Adora. She put the plate before her wife, before grabbing her own and sitting next to her wife. “They don’t live far away, right?”

“Only a ten minute drive. You think we should check on them?” Adora asked. “I don’t want to bother them…”

“At best, it’ll just be a quick check-in. I’m sure they’ll appreciate their friends being concerned about them. Plus, it’s not like we have anything better to do today, right?” Catra shrugged as she dug into her breakfast.

“I suppose you’re right,” Adora said. “Thanks, Catra. I just don’t want to turn into some over-paranoid person. Oh, and by the way, this breakfast is incredible. As was expected,” she smiled.

“Homemade bacon makes all the difference,” Catra replied. She was thankful to get some compliments on her cooking. Finding something to be passionate about really lit up Catra’s life in a whole new way. But finding a job in cooking was probably off the table.

As they ate, Adora checked her phone one more time. Still no response from Double Trouble after multiple calls. She couldn’t help but wonder what was going on. She was sure she was just overthinking things, but what if something bad had happened?

Either way, checking up on a friend is always a great use of time.

* * *

As Adora put the car into park, Catra saw Double Trouble was still at their home, with their car parked out the front of their house.

The two of them stepped out of their car, walking towards the house. They saw that the curtains were still drawn closed over the windows, which was odd. They looked at each other, trying to decide how to approach this.

Eventually, Catra approached the front door and went to go knock. She hesitated for a few seconds, trying to listen in and yet hearing nothing from within the house. She looked at Adora, and although they could’ve speculated for hours, there was only one way to get answers.

Eventually, Catra knocked on the door.

Silence followed. Not even a single peep from Double Trouble. Catra looked to Adora one more time. “Uh… DT? It’s Catra. And Adora. We’re just here to check on things. We’ve been trying to call you,” Catra said loudly.

And yet she received no response.

It was about then that Catra’s heart started to race slightly. She wondered what she should do next. She didn’t exactly have a key to the front door, and she couldn’t even look into the house. But as her and Adora tried to look for alternate measures, they suddenly heard a click at the front door.

And slowly, it opened to reveal Double Trouble.

“Oh… It’s really you two,” DT said, softly smiling. They wore a white robe and their hair was down. But most noticeable, their eyes were red and puffy. They looked like they had been crying. And yet they were smiling at the two of them now. “Would you like to come in?”

“If… If that’s okay?” Catra asked, and Double Trouble opened the door wider.

“You two are always welcome,” Double Trouble replied. As Adora and Catra entered the house and made their way to the living room, the two of them saw a bottle of wine on the floor next to the couch, as well as a box of tissues on the other side of the couch. “Can I get you two anything to drink? Maybe I can mix up a Bloody Mary?”

“It’s… nine in the morning, DT,” Adora responded with an awkward chuckle. Double Trouble stopped for a few seconds, their eyes wide, before they simply laughed in response.

“I suppose it is. More for me, then!” They almost cheered as they grabbed a glass from the table, pouring themselves even more red wine. They went to go take a sip, but Catra quickly grabbed their wrist.

“Uh… DT, how much have you had to drink?” Catra asked. Double Trouble looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

“I’ve only had half a bottle, darling. That’s hardly enough to get anyone wasted,” Double Trouble responded. They went to take a sip, but this time, Adora stopped them.

“Maybe you should… save it for later?” Adora suggested. “I mean, it is a Monday. Don’t you have, like, events to get to today?” She asked. It seemed like a harmless question, but after a few seconds, Adora saw Double Trouble’s lips begin to wobble, and out of nowhere, tears began to well in their eyes. “Oh… Oh, DT, did I say something wrong…?”

“Hm? No, everything’s fine, doll,” Double Trouble forced a smile through the obvious tears. “Just had a change of plans, so I’m completely free today!”

“A… change of plans?” Catra asked. Adora and Catra took a seat on the couch and left Double Trouble to sit in their own chair.

“I was meant to go to a nearby high school today for an LGBTQ+ seminar and a chance to talk with the students about queer topics. But it turns out, none of their parents were fans of that!” Double Trouble laughed, though Adora and Catra weren’t in on the joke. “So after being called almost every transphobic slur under the sun in my emails from all those parents, the school decided to cancel my event because it was deemed too controversial! So there! I have the whole day free now!”

“I…” Adora’s eyes widened in horror.

“Double Trouble, that’s… that’s horrible… I’m so sorry…” Catra spoke, trying to comfort her friend. But in response, Double Trouble just giggled even more.

“It’s actually quite funny! I thought I was making a difference or trying to bring a positive influence to younger people, but nope! Turns out I’m still a freak in some people’s eyes!” Double Trouble laughed. But as they talked, that laughter slowly turned into chokes of sobs.

And soon enough, Double Trouble broke down crying.

They buried their face in their hands as they let out agonizing sobs, and Adora and Catra were quick to be by their side. Neither of them had seen Double Trouble this upset before, but they did their best anyway as Adora rubbed circles on their back and Catra held their hand.

“I’m used to the hateful comments online…” Double Trouble sobbed, taking in a shuddered breath. “But being barred from an event because of it… What if someone at that school needs someone to talk to them about these things? What if there’s a kid out there who needs that extra bit of help but won’t get it now because of their parents? What if someone’s being bullied for being gay or trans? And I can’t even do anything about it…”

“I’m so sorry, DT… All those things they said to you are awful. You don’t deserve this,” Adora shook her head. Double Trouble leaned their head on Adora’s shoulder, wiping their tears with the tissue on the couch.

“Is there anything we can do to help? Maybe we can try to overturn this?” Catra asked, but Double Trouble shook their head.

“Their decision is final, and I’d be too late by now anyway. I’ve just got the whole day to wallow in self-pity,” Double Trouble sighed. They soon smiled at the two of them. “I’m glad you’re both here, though. It helps.”

“Adora was just worried about you. She has this instinct when she knows one of her friends needs help,” Catra smiled. “Well… You tell us if you want us to leave or stay. We’ve got the whole day free and I think we’d both be happy to spend it with you.”

“Agreed. We don’t want to smother you, DT, but if you need to extra help…” Adora suggested. Double Trouble looked between the two of them.

“If… If it’s okay… I’d like you two to stay…” Double Trouble responded, before sighing. “Fuck, I’m sorry… I’m supposed to be the composed one here and now I’m just a complete mess. This must look pathetic.”

“Quite the opposite. You’re allowed to feel upset, DT,” Catra said as she grabbed the wine bottle, putting it away. “I know we met you as president of the Pride Club, but you’re our friend, first and foremost. And friends need to look out for each other.”

“You’ve helped us through our tears, DT. Let us return the favor,” Adora smiled. Double Trouble looked into Adora’s eyes for a few seconds, and soon, they put on a smile. The first genuine one they felt all day.

“You two are perfect…” Double Trouble said. “I… I should probably get changed into some actual clothes. I’m too young to be wearing a robe all day. I’ll be right back,” they said as they stood up, going to their bedroom.

Once they left, Catra sat back down with Adora. “Good thing you picked up on them not answering,” Catra said to Adora. “I don’t know what would’ve happened if they didn’t have someone there for them.”

“Should we try to get them out of the house, maybe?” Adora suggested. Catra pondered the idea for a few seconds, before she suddenly remembered something from her social media scrolling last night.

“You know, I think today’s the last day of the festival in town. You remember the one we went to back in high school with that Ferris Wheel?” Catra suggested.

“You think we should take them there?” Adora asked, and Catra nodded. “Hm… You know, I think they’d like that. It’d be some nostalgia.”

“What are you lesbians planning?” Double Trouble asked as they entered the room a few moments later. They wore a pink shirt, denim jacket and a long skirt. “I heard something about the festival?”

“Yeah. We were thinking of heading there. You wanna join us?” Catra offered. Double Trouble took a few seconds to think about the suggestion as Adora and Catra looked at them. “It’d be a chance to get outside. Have some memories, y’know? We don’t have to stay too long if you don’t want to.”

They looked at the couple. They saw the smiles. The eyes of kindness. And soon enough, Double Trouble could only happily sigh.

“How could I ever refuse an offer like that?”

* * *

Presenting as feminine always meant more stares than usual for Double Trouble.

They were almost used to this by now. The looks they got from everyone around them. But today, they felt smaller than usual. They felt the stress from each look. It added on to the misery that they had been trying to push away all this time.

They followed behind Adora and Catra, who held hands as they looked for a certain stall. The blue sky above them was free of clouds, and the people around them were smiling and feeling joyous. It was mostly families with younger children, since today was a school day.

Double Trouble ran a hand through their hair as they finally saw Adora and Catra stop at a game stall. “This the one?” Adora asked Catra, and she nodded in return.

“What’s going on, darlings?” Double Trouble asked as they approached the couple. As Adora talked to the person manning the stall, Catra crossed her arms and spoke to Double Trouble.

“Back in high school, Adora managed to win me this giant teddy bear from this exact stall. She managed to shoot down all the paper cups with that crack shot of hers,” Catra smirked as Adora was handed a plastic rifle that shot rubber darts. “I figure she can win one of those giant teddy bears for you.”

“I don’t know, Catra. It’s been a while,” Adora said as she took aim. Double Trouble smiled softly.

“You two really don’t have to go this far for me,” they said, but Catra put a hand on their shoulder.

“We don’t have to. But we want to. We love you, DT. This barely pays back for all you’ve done for us,” Catra replied as Adora fired her first shot out of three. And shockingly, it was a complete miss. Catra and Double Trouble watched as Adora tried to line up her shot again.

But the next two were misses as well.

“Oh…” Catra said as Adora could only awkwardly chuckle after handing the plastic rifle back.

“What can I say? It’s been a while. I’m not the same as I was five years ago,” Adora shrugged. She looked to Double Trouble. “Uh… Sorry, DT. I didn’t mean to let you down.”

“Nonsense, doll. I’m just happy you tried for me,” Double Trouble smiled at Adora. Though, admittedly, there was a tiny bit of disappointment in their heart. So many things had gone wrong today, and that just felt like adding insult to injury.

“Well… This is your day, DT. Is there anywhere particular you’d like to go?” Catra asked. She glanced over to Adora, as if trying to come up with some magic plan to cheer Double Trouble up. But Adora was just as clueless.

“I suppose the beach sounds nice,” Double Trouble shrugged. The festival was placed right next to a beach, so it made for an easy trip. Adora and Catra nodded to them, and let them lead the way down towards the sandy shores.

Double Trouble knew Adora and Catra were struggling to help them. But in truth, simply having the two of them around was enough for them to feel a little better about themselves. They had been getting a few more emails on their phone throughout the day, which they chose to ignore for now.

They were always so used to being the pillar of support for all their friends. Being the one who could maintain emotional stability and be there when someone is breaking down. They’ve helped friends decide which binders to safely wear, and have helped others through intense gender dysphoria.

But Double Trouble rarely looked after themselves. They never thought they’d have to. But now it was catching up to them.

Once the three of them reached the beach, Double Trouble simply took an opportunity to smell the air and close their eyes. A chance to breathe and just live. After everything they had read this morning, it was a fresh reminder of how beautiful the world can be.

But once they opened their eyes, they saw someone else on the beach that took their curiosity.

They spotted a lone child, standing near the water. The child looked lost and upset, but too afraid to ask for help from anyone. Double Trouble looked around, but they saw no sign of caretakers or anything of the sort.

“DT? You alright?” Adora asked, noticing their attention being directed to the child.

“I… I think they’re lost,” Double Trouble pointed to the lone child. “Should… Should we go help?”

“It’s your call,” Catra shrugged. Double Trouble looked to the child for a few more seconds, before taking in a deep breath, and eventually, taking a few steps in their direction.

The child looked at the large beach nervously. They weren’t in tears, but the fear in their heart was rapidly increasing. And just when they thought they’d be lost forever, they suddenly heard a voice.

“Excuse me!” Double Trouble called out. The child’s eyes wandered over towards Double Trouble. “Hi there! Where are your parents?”

The child was unsure how to respond. This was a complete stranger, someone they had been told never to talk to. But when they looked at this person, they didn’t feel fear. They felt an odd sense of security. “I… I don’t know…” The child responded. “They were buying lunch for me but… Then I saw a butterfly head this direction and I kept chasing it… Now I don’t know where I am…”

“I see…” Double Trouble nodded, kneeling down before the child. “What’s your name? If you’re comfortable with telling me that.”

The child looked this person up and down. “… Flutterina,” she responded.

“That’s a pretty name. I’m Double Trouble,” they introduced themselves. Flutterina was clearly taken aback at the name, and Double Trouble could tell. “Weird name, isn’t it?”

“I don’t mean to be rude…” Flutterina responded timidly.

“It’s okay. Tell you what, why don’t me and my friends here help get you back to your parents?” Double Trouble offered, indicating to Adora and Catra. “They shouldn’t be too far away. Is that okay with you?”

Flutterina pondered for a few more seconds, looking at all three of them individually. Adora was smiling gently at the girl, whilst Catra was doing her best to look safe to be around, even with the piercings in her eyebrow and earlobe. But eventually, Flutterina nodded. “Thank you.”

“It’s nothing, darling. I spend a lot of time around kids your age, you know,” Double Trouble smiled as they stood up. Flutterina followed close by as the three of them led the girl back into the festival and towards the food stands. If her parents were purchasing lunch, that’s where they should be, or somewhere close by.

“Were you having a fun day until all this?” Adora asked Flutterina. The girl managed a smile as she nodded.

“Yeah. I got to go on the Ferris Wheel,” Flutterina responded. Adora chuckled softly.

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Flutterina. I’m Adora, and this is my wife, Catra,” Adora introduced themselves. Flutterina looked to Catra for a few seconds, and the most the older woman could manage was a wave. Flutterina didn’t return it.

“So… Why is your name… Like that?” Flutterina asked Double Trouble. It was a blunt question, but they didn’t mind.

“I actually chose it myself,” Double Trouble responded. Flutterina’s eyes widened.

“You chose your name when you were born? My parents gave me mine,” Flutterina said.

“Oh, my parents gave me a name when I was born too. But that name… Well, it’s not something I go by anymore. I felt like it didn’t fit me. So I chose the name Double Trouble instead,” they replied. Flutterina held onto Double Trouble’s skirt as they walked, just so she could stay close.

“Why did you change your name?” She asked.

“Well… It’s a little bit complicated,” Double Trouble said.

“That’s okay. I’m smart. My mom told me so,” Flutterina responded. Double Trouble looked at the girl for a few seconds, before deciding to indulge in her curiosity.

“Well… Do you know how most people are either a boy or a girl?” Double Trouble asked, and the child nodded.

“I’m a girl,” Flutterina replied.

“Well, I’m not either of those,” Double Trouble said. They could tell Flutterina was a little caught off guard, but was still listening. “When I was born, I was assigned one of those two genders. But as I grew up, I realized I didn’t fit into either of those boxes. I was something other than a boy or a girl. So I am something most people call ‘non-binary’, and there’s a lot of people out there who are like me!”

“Okay…” Flutterina said, still listening.

“When I realized I was non-binary, I also realized the name my parents gave me was something I was unhappy with. So that’s why I decided to change my name. Does that make sense, doll?” Double Trouble asked.

“Yeah…” Flutterina spoke slowly, still processing the explanation. “One of my parent’s friends went through something like that. When he was born, the doctor accidentally labelled him as a girl, and he was raised like a girl. But recently, he found out that he was actually a boy. So he goes by a different name now. He’s really funny to be around. He looks after me when my parents are busy.”

“He sounds wonderful,” Double Trouble said. “And you’re right, he is somewhat similar to me. He and I are something called ‘transgender’. It means that we don’t exactly align with the gender the doctor gave us at birth.”

“Oh, I know that word!” Flutterina beamed.

“That’s wonderful to hear! Your mom is right, you are very smart. Smarter than some adults I know,” Double Trouble smiled. Adora and Catra, although scanning for Flutterina’s parents, were both impressed with Double Trouble’s ability to communicate with kids about topics like this.

And in Catra’s mind, her thoughts were racing.

“Oh! Oh, there they are!” Flutterina suddenly cried out, running away from Double Trouble and towards a man and a woman in the distance, who they assumed to be Flutterina’s parents. Double Trouble smiled as Flutterina hugged her mother and father, and they both felt immense relief upon finding their daughter again.

Double Trouble was contempt with watching from afar, but they soon saw Flutterina pointing towards them. The family approached them, smiles on their faces. “Our daughter says you helped find her way to us,” the father spoke.

“I found her lost on the beach and just gave her a little help,” Double Trouble replied with a smile. “She is lovely to talk to.”

“Hey… Hey, wait, I know you,” the mother spoke as her eyes scanned Double Trouble. Initially, they froze up. After having dealt with so many unhappy parents today, they were almost ready to seize up or run away. “Yeah… You’re Double Trouble, aren’t you?”

“I, um… I am,” Double Trouble spoke with a weak smile, almost expecting hate to be spat towards them the next second. But instead, the mother simply smiled.

“One of our friends is a trans man. He’s actually Flutterina’s babysitter,” the mother spoke.

“Oh, she was telling me about him!” Double Trouble responded.

“Well… Let’s just say, he’d give anything to be in our shoes right now,” the mother smiled. “He’s a huge fan of yours. Watches all of your videos and attends your speeches and rallies when he can. You… You helped him in a really dark time in his life. You helped him understand what it meant to be trans, and… You helped him discover himself.”

“I…” Double Trouble’s eyes widened upon hearing those words. “Well… You tell him that he’s absolutely gorgeous… And that he has my thanks for being wonderful. I hope I’ll be able to meet him in person,” they replied.

“Thank you again,” the father said. “Keep doing what you’re doing. It’s for an incredible cause.”

“Bye-bye, Double Trouble!” Flutterina waved as the family walked off after giving their farewells. Double Trouble gave them a wave as they walked off, and Adora and Catra felt it was okay to approach them now.

“Would you look at that?” Adora smiled. “You’re helping so many people, DT. You… Hey… You okay…?” Adora asked as both her and Catra eventually circled around to the front of Double Trouble.

They were crying. But this time, it was tears of joy.

“It…” Double Trouble sniffled, a big smile on their face as droplets of tears leaked. “It’s just nice… To know that even among all the hatred and bigotry… There are people I’m able to reach and help. I’m just glad people are able to live happy as themselves… And giving a helping hand in that is all I ever want to do. Plus… With more kids like Flutterina in the world… Maybe one day, people like us won’t have to live in fear.”

“You’ve helped so many lives, DT,” Catra said, putting a hand on their shoulder. “There’ll be those few who spit venom for no good reason… But none of it compares to the people you’ve helped. You deserve the world, DT.”

“Thank you… Thank you both so much for sticking with me today…” Double Trouble sobbed happy tears, wrapping their arms around Catra and Adora. The two of them returned the hug. “I love you both so much…”

Catra and Adora looked to each other with warm smiles. And they each returned with the same words.

“We love you too, Double Trouble.”

* * *

Catra’s mind was still racing as she felt the hot water run down her back.

She stood in the shower, looking down at her feet. Double Trouble seemed happy once they all got back home, but the entirety of today was still stuck in Catra’s mind. She wasn’t washing her body or her hair in the shower. She was simply thinking.

After everything with Flutterina today, the question of children had some new context. Flutterina seemed to help Double Trouble immensely, and she was completely understanding in Double Trouble’s explanation of being trans, and what non-binary meant.

Ever since then, even through making dinner, Catra was deep in thought. It was late at night, and she knew Adora was waiting for her in bed. Eventually, Catra cut the shower and walked out, grabbing her towel and drying herself off.

The mirror had been fogged up from the steam, but Catra soon reached out a hand and wiped away the fog to make everything clearer. She looked herself in the eyes. Her reflection looked back. And in that moment, her mind had been made up.

She exited the bathroom, turning off the lights and crawling onto the bed where Adora waited for her. “We had a pretty good day, huh?” Adora asked as Catra crawled on top of her. Eventually, Catra had mounted Adora, looking down at her wife.

“Yeah. We did,” Catra replied. Adora reached up and put a hand on Catra’s cheek, and Catra leaned down to plant a firm, loving kiss on Adora’s lips. The same kiss she always yearned for. And the same kiss that would always be there for her.

Catra separated. “Hey Adora…?” She spoke quietly.

“Yeah…?” Adora responded, pushing her forehead against Catra’s. There was a few moments of silence. Pondering. Thought. Love. But eventually, the words were spoken.

“I…” Catra hesitated, before looking into her wife’s eyes. “I’ve made a decision. About having a kid.”

“You have…?” Adora asked, her heart racing as she anticipated the answer. Catra smiled.

“Yeah. Let’s do it.”


	6. For Adora

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nine months have passed since Adora and Catra's decision to have a baby. Bringing a child into the world should be an act full of joy and happiness. But when Adora goes into labor, it is anything but that for Catra.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A happy 2021 to y'all! I cannot thank you enough for all the support you gave throughout 2020, even though I only started uploading in the later months. You all inspired me to get back into fanfiction after years of being on hiatus. You have my endless gratitude. 
> 
> I'm very sorry for the slight delay on this chapter. New Year's was hectic, and I really was way too wiped yesterday to write and edit. I really hope I can make up for the delay, as I feel terrible about it. I knew I would have to delay at some point, but I still feel bad. I love writing for y'all! 
> 
> Without any further delay, let's get into one of the toughest chapters I've ever had to write.

The anxiety in her heart was almost causing Catra’s ears to ring. She had never been this stressed in her entire life, not since the wedding ten months ago.

She sat in the break room at her workplace, the factory, anxiously tapping her phone in her hand. Conversation was happening all around her, but none of it was able to process in her mind. She felt like she was choking, and maybe she actually was. She felt dizzy.

Nine months ago, her and her wife had come to the decision to have a baby. It wasn’t something Catra regretted. But the decision she was starting to regret was letting Adora carry the baby. She had volunteered and both of them were fine with it initially.

But as Adora became more and more exhausted and almost sick, Catra wanted to do anything to shed some of the burden. She wanted to take the aching and pain away from Adora, but she knew there was no changing this now. She simply had to anxiously wait.

And any day now, it could break. Catra had taken as many paid vacation days off as she could to stay home and look after Adora, but it was simply becoming too much. With Adora in this state, she couldn’t go into her teaching job at Bright Moon, and had to stay home. And that meant Catra had to work twice as hard.

After all, they needed to afford a house for their whole family.

Catra’s mind wandered to the house they had decided on. It actually wasn’t too far from the apartment building, but it was in more of a secluded area, which meant more quiet nights. It was small, but it was comfortable. Adora was extremely happy when she took a tour through it.

But if they wanted any chance at comfortably affording it, Catra needed to work hard for both of them. Longer hours, along with looking after her wife, meant Catra was more tired. And being more tired created more stress and anxiety in her mind. The combination ultimately began to eat away at her mental health.

But she pushed through. She had to for her wife. For their child.

Adora looked relatively okay when Catra left this morning, and she had assigned Double Trouble to look after her while she was gone. She hated to bother them, but Double Trouble deemed looking after Adora more important than absolutely anything else.

Catra looked at the food she had prepared for herself the previous night. A simple noodle dish. She was on her lunch break and she knew she had to eat, but she also knew whatever food she tried to force down would simply come back out due to her anxiety.

So instead, she listened to the rain outside. It had grown rather heavy, and she could smell it, even in the break room. A cloudy, rainy day was not the ideal day for a child to be born, but it’s not like Catra could do much about it.

Catra looked at her phone again. She had texted both Adora and Double Trouble, asking for an update on Adora’s condition. And yet, for the last fifteen minutes, she had received no response. Every second passing only served to make Catra assume the worst.

She needed to put her pessimistic imagination to rest. She opened her contacts, and went to call Double Trouble. She didn’t care about having a phone conversation in front of people she barely knew. She just needed to know that Adora was okay. That everything would be alright.

As she held her phone up to her ear and waited for Double Trouble to pick up, Catra’s anxiety also boiled into misery. Whatever suffering and anxiety she was going through, in her mind, it was clearly nothing compared to what Adora was currently going through. Catra felt selfish.

She hated doing this, this self-pity. She knew she needed to be there for Adora, first and foremost. She wanted to kick this anxiety away. But her mind never let her rest, and she hated herself for it.

Eventually, the call went to voice mail. Double Trouble wasn’t picking up. They would never do that. Not when they were looking after Adora. Unless something has happened. Unless…

Suddenly, Catra’s mind was cut off when she heard the large bell ringing throughout the factory, signalling the end of their lunch break. Everyone else around her stood up, going back into the factory to continue the work. Catra knew she couldn’t sit in the break room all day.

But as she stood up, she felt her phone buzz in her hand.

Immediately, she looked to see a text received from Double Trouble. Catra looked at it for a few seconds. She felt like her throat was being crushed under the weight of emotion. And she felt her heart stop for a few seconds.

And quickly, she began to pack her things.

She was still meant to be at work for another eight hours. But there was no time anymore. She grabbed her wallet, keys, phone and other things, and almost bolted out of the break room and towards the front door. The rain was intense, but she didn’t care.

“Hey, hey, where do you think you’re going?” Catra heard her boss ask as she began to walk into the rain and towards her car. Catra almost wanted to ignore them, but she knew she couldn’t. She stopped in her path, and hoped that after all this, she might be able to keep her job.

Under the gray rain, Catra turned to her boss. “My wife has just gone into labor.”

* * *

Catra always hated the hospital.

The mute colors, gray sky and bright interior always made her feel uneasy. She felt like she was going to die whenever she entered one. Knowing she was walking into a building where people have died didn’t make it any easier.

She respected the workers. But the building itself made her want to crawl into a ball and rot away.

She had managed to find a park easy enough, despite speeding through traffic. In hindsight, she should’ve been more careful. The fact she made it to the hospital was almost a miracle. But the anxiety and panic she felt had became way too intense.

She ran out into the rain, bolting towards the front door. She saw Double Trouble’s car out front, so she knew they had arrived with Adora already. Catra knew she needed to be by Adora’s side. Holding her hand and making sure she’s okay.

As she entered the hospital, she rushed towards the front counter. The woman behind the counter looked up to see the panicked, rain-drenched, tired Catra, panting from all the running and anxiety. “My wife’s in labor right now. I need to be with her,” Catra said frantically.

“Catra!” She suddenly heard someone call her name, and looked to see Double Trouble jogging towards her.

“Oh, do you mean Adora?” The woman asked Catra. “I’m sorry, but we can’t allow any visitors with her at the moment. Her labor was more intense than anticipated and the room has to be cleared to allow…”

“More intense? What the fuck does that mean?” Catra asked, her voice raising slightly. It wasn’t this woman’s fault. Catra wanted to stop herself. But something in her brain was putting her sympathetic nervous system in full panic. “Let me see my wife! She needs me!”

“Catra, you can’t,” Double Trouble shook their head, putting their hand on Catra’s shoulder. “When I was driving her here, she… You just can’t, Catra. She needs all the help she can get from the professionals. I know you want to be with her, and I’m sure she wants to see you too, but…”

“Then let me see her! What’s happening to her?! I need to know!” Catra yelled at the woman behind the counter and Double Trouble at the same time. She hated herself for it. But the panic wouldn’t stop.

“We will let you know everything that’s going on once the doctors have assessed the situation. You’re welcome to take a seat in the meantime. Rest assured, they are doing their absolute best to make sure Adora gets all the help she needs throughout the birth process,” the woman informed. Catra looked at her for a few seconds.

“She…” Catra slowly felt herself began to choke, putting her hands on the back of her head as she felt herself let out short, panicked breaths. “She’s hurting… She’s fucking dying in there, isn’t she? And I can’t do shit about it…”

“No one said anything like that, Catra,” Double Trouble spoke softly, slowly guiding Catra towards a seat.

“No one has said anything, full stop! Why won’t you just tell me what’s going on instead of just being so fucking vague about it?! Do you like seeing me like this?!” Catra screamed at Double Trouble. She knew they didn’t. She knew they were doing their best. But the words came out before her mind could catch up.

“I know about as much as you do. When I was driving her here, she seemed to be in a lot of pain. I don’t know why. They took her off my hands and haven’t told me much since. I’m sure they’re doing their best to make sure she isn’t hurting as much,” Double Trouble said slowly. Catra run her fingers through her hair, gritting her teeth.

“Fuck…” She choked, her voice cracking as she double over and buried her face in her arms. “It should’ve been me… She’s hurting and I can’t do shit…” She said, her panicked breaths becoming more rapid.

It was in that moment that Catra realized she was having a panic attack.

Air no longer felt like it was coming to her lungs, and whatever feeling was in her body had slowly turned numb. The endless tears soaked her shirt and arms, and the sobs felt like punches in her gut. She reached out, holding Double Trouble’s hand as she broke down completely. The lack of sleep, the long hours, the anxiety, all catching up with her.

Couldn’t breath. Couldn’t breath. Could not breath. She couldn’t breath. No air. She sucked in breaths, but it did nothing. She thought she was going to pass out. Adora was in another room, probably in agony. Nothing. She could do nothing.

“I don’t want to lose her…” Catra sobbed, the words turning into more painful cries. Her throat felt immensely tight. Even Double Trouble’s arm around her shoulder felt like nothing. All of it was numb.

“You’re not going to, Catra. You’re going to see her and you’re going to see your gorgeous baby soon. You’ll have a family and a future with her,” Double Trouble said, trying to calm or just help Catra in any way. In truth, they were scared too.

“Fuck… Fuck…” Catra agonized, punching herself in the back of the head again.

“Hey, hey,” Double Trouble grabbed her wrist, stopping her. “Come on. You don’t want to do that.”

“You don’t even know… You have no fucking idea what I’m going through… You just pretend everything’s going to be okay…” Catra said, not looking them in the eye. The self-hatred only became more intense with each passing word.

“You’re right. I don’t know what you’re going through. But Adora is my friend. I’m worried about her too,” they replied, not feeling hurt by Catra’s words. They knew she was just in a bad state. They didn’t take it to heart too much.

“What if she dies? What if… What if she and baby…” Catra began to speak.

“Shh,” Double Trouble immediately shushed her gently, knowing what that line of thinking leads to. “Hey… Do you remember your first session with the Pride Club? Back in high school?”

Catra took a few short breaths, but finally, she looked up at Double Trouble, and nodded. Her eyes were stinging red and puffy, and her face looked pale. “I barely said a word… I thought you’d kick me out…” Catra said with a hoarse voice.

“Nonsense, darling,” Double Trouble shook their head. “I could tell you were just a bit reserved and there was nothing wrong with that. But when Adora came along… You really opened up. And I was really happy to see it.”

“She’s great like that,” Catra smiled, hugging one leg close to her chest. “She’s helped me so much… Even after all this time, I love her with all my heart. She…” Catra tried to choke out more words, but they never came. Only more tears. “I’m so scared…”

“I know,” Double Trouble hugged Catra closely. “I’m… I’m scared, too.”

“… Thanks for being honest. It makes me feel less alone,” Catra said. She was just glad to have someone there to support her. Someone to cuddle with and never let go. And even though her eyes were heavy, Catra stayed awake.

* * *

She was awake until three in the morning.

Even after over a dozen hours, Catra never slept once. Double Trouble had to take a short nap around eleven at night, and Catra was mostly alone in the waiting room. The labor was still ongoing, and she had received no news about it.

At the very least, Catra was glad it hadn’t become worse. But on the other hand, it hadn’t become better either. The anxiety was still in her heart, but Catra had almost become numb to it at this point.

She had to stay awake. For Adora.

Catra had gone to the bathroom quickly, and gotten a chance to look at herself in the mirror. Her hair had become frazzled and even more messy than usual, and her eyes had visible bags underneath them. They were stinging red. Her clothes were wrinkled and dirty. She looked, well and truly, like a mess.

But she pushed through. For Adora.

Catra had thrown up a few times from the stress. She was running on an empty stomach, and she couldn’t force down any food, no matter what she tried. She had only had water, which stayed down by a miracle.

But she pushed through. For Adora.

Once the clock hit three-thirty in the early morning, she saw the door open to the left of the waiting room. A nurse emerged, and walked in her direction. Her heart picked up almost immediately as she saw the nurse approach her. “What’s going on?” Catra asked, surprised at how hoarse and choked her voice was.

“We’d like to deeply apologize for not being able to update you as frequently as we should of. The situation was delicate and changing too often, and we didn’t want to misinform you accidentally,” the nurse started. Catra didn’t care at this point.

“Just… Tell me if my wife and child are okay. Please,” Catra practically begged. Double Trouble had awoken by this point, but they stayed out of the conversation for now.

“The baby was born in good health. We’ve washed them, weighed them and wrapped them in a blanket,” the nurse informed Catra. “As for Adora, we’re still working on making sure she’s in a stable condition. We are allowing visits now, if you’d like to see them.”

Catra was meant to be excited. Almost ecstatic. But her panic-filled heart didn’t allow for anything other than worry as she stood up and followed behind the nurse. This was meant to be one of the biggest moments of her life. But she felt nothing but misery.

The hallway towards Adora’s room was long and narrow. Catra could’ve sworn the walls were closing in. The bright lights were way too intense, and the white walls and floor made her wince. She thought she was going to throw up again, if there was anything to get out.

But eventually, the nurse found the room and opened the door. Catra stepped in to find a brightly lit room with a single bed and many machines.

And on that bed was Adora.

Her long, golden hair was frazzled around the white pillow beneath her, and the blanket on her body was messy. Her eyes were barely open, and her breathing was hoarse, like she was struggling to simply get air in. She took long, slow, deliberate, choked breaths every few seconds. Sometimes Catra was afraid she’d stop entirely. But still, Adora saw Catra, and she smiled.

“Hey… Catra…” Adora smiled, reaching up towards her wife. Catra felt like she was going to cry again as she held Adora’s hand for the first time in a while. Adora’s hand was cold. Her body was damp with sweat.

“Adora…” Catra sighed softly, holding her wife’s hand close to her heart. She had no idea what to say. What to do. Nothing was processing. Adora’s painful breaths were the only sounds that filled the room.

Along with the loud cries of a baby.

Catra looked up to see a nurse approaching her, holding the baby, who was wrapped in a yellow blanket. Their cries were sudden, but slowly calmed as the nurse rocked them gently. Catra’s entire body felt numb, but she slowly reached out and held onto the baby.

For the first time in her life, Catra held her child in her arms.

“They’re… Beautiful…” Adora croaked out as Catra held the child. “Right…?”

“Yeah…” Catra spoke softly, looking down. The baby had her skin, but they also had Adora’s blue eyes. They looked up at Catra curiously, studying her. “They are. They have your eyes,” Catra smiled at Adora.

“And… your ears…” Adora reached out to touch the baby’s face, but she soon let out dry, painful coughs. The doctor immediately approached her, checking her breathing and almost pushing Catra out of the way.

“Is she… Is she going to be alright…?” Catra asked the team of doctors and nurses attending to Adora. She held the baby close, but her attention was mostly focused on her wife. One nurse approached her.

“We’re going to do absolutely everything we can to help her through this. You may stay for now if you like. But I would recommend getting sleep, preferably at home, when you can,” the nurse advised Catra.

But Catra could never sleep. Not when Adora was in this state.

She opted to sit by the hospital bed, holding the baby in her arms as she looked down at her wife. Adora’s eyes were still barely open, but she was looking at the child the entire time with a weak smile on her face.

And soon enough, Catra felt the baby grab her index finger. She looked down to see the baby inspecting her finger. Feeling it. Her own child. It should’ve been one of the happiest moments of her life. This was her and Adora’s child. Their family. Their future. Everything they wanted.

But in the moment Catra should’ve felt immense happiness, she only felt nervousness.

* * *

Catra rarely took her eyes away from her wife over the next hour.

Adora had managed to get to sleep, but her slow, long breathing was sending only worry into Catra’s heart. The long seconds between each breath almost had her calling for a nurse. She wanted to cry so badly.

But the only thing preventing her was her child, who was looking at Adora.

Catra held the baby close. She looked down at them every now and then. Their bright, blue eyes studying the world. Studying their parents. If anything went right tonight, it was that the baby was born in almost perfect health.

They still didn’t have a name. Catra wanted to wait until Adora was healthy again to name them. She knew Adora would want to make a decision together as partners. That’s how they always did things. That’s how they will always do things.

The future had to be with her. Catra couldn’t imagine a future without Adora. She needed Adora. She could never raise a child on her own.

Catra tried to think back to her own birth. She never remembered her birth parent. For as long as she could think back, her earliest memory was always when Shadow Weaver adopted her. She could remember being taken to pre-school by her. The house she grew up in.

She reached out and stroked Adora’s cheek gently with her knuckles. Her skin was too cold. Catra didn’t like it. The sweat on her body had dampened the bed. Catra wanted to take the pain away. She wanted to be in Adora’s place. She wanted to be the one suffering, not her.

Soon enough, the door to the room opened, and the same nurse from earlier stepped in. “I’ve been told that the doctors need to use this room for a check-up and assessment. I’m deeply sorry, but I have to ask you to leave in the meantime,” she explained to Catra. “I would recommend taking the baby home in the meantime. Showing them around and such.”

“But… But Adora…” Catra said, shaking her head. “I can’t leave her here. She won’t like being alone.”

“I’m sorry. I really am,” the nurse said with empathy in her voice. “She’s going to need some time to rest. You will be notified of when you can visit, and her condition.”

“Just… Tell me she’s going to live. Please. Just… Just tell me that,” Catra pleaded with the nurse. She just wanted to hear those words. She wanted to know her wife would be okay. But the nurse’s eyes filled with worry. She was trying to remain calm for Catra.

“We’re going to do the best we can.”

Catra’s heart dropped.

“Let me stay. Please. I won’t get in the way. I promise,” Catra begged. She was ready to fight. She was ready for anything. But eventually, another voice chimed in.

“Hey…” Adora’s voice croaked. Catra’s head immediately spun to look at her weak wife. But even through all this, Adora was still smiling. She smiled to calm Catra. She smiled for their baby.

“Adora…” Catra whispered, holding Adora’s hand. Adora took a long breath.

“You should… take them home… Get some sleep… Please…” Adora said. She cared about Catra, even after what she’s gone through. And Catra knew Adora would be stubborn on that.

“What about you…?” Catra asked, holding Adora’s hand. Her wife looked up at the ceiling with a gentle smile, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh.

“I’m… gonna rest… for a while…”

Those were Adora’s last words before she closed her eyes and drifted back into unconsciousness.

Catra looked to the nurse. “She’s fatigued,” the nurse said. “You may visit during the day. But… I would take her advice for now,” the nurse suggested. Catra looked between the two of them, and she knew she was outmatched. She sighed.

“… Fine,” Catra gave in, and eventually, walked away from the room, carrying her child out. Before she left, she took a chance to look back at the unconscious Adora. Her beautiful face. Her long hair. Her pale skin.

And eventually, the door was closed, and Catra could see no more.

She had no choice but to walk back out to the waiting room, where Double Trouble was waiting for her. “How is she?” They asked, before their eyes looked to the baby. They wanted to gush over the adorable child, but Catra’s tired face told them everything.

“Can you… drive me home, DT? Adora told me I should get some rest,” Catra said. Double Trouble didn’t hesitate to accept, leading Catra and the child out towards the carpark.

It was four in the morning. The city was asleep, and the sky was dark. Only a few cars drove by, and the buildings illuminated neon signs. A light sprinkle of rain fell upon Catra, and the ground was wet with the rain from earlier. Puddles reflected the lights of the city.

Double Trouble’s car was warm as Catra got into the backseat. She held the baby gently the entire time, making sure they were okay. The baby didn’t cry as much as Catra thought it would. They were simply studying the world. Studying their mom.

The drive back home was mostly in silence. Catra informed Double Trouble that they could visit during the day, and they promised Catra they would pick her up when need be. Their schedule was clear for the week.

The lights of the buildings reflected upon the windows of the car, and the baby watched the world go by in their mother’s arms. The rain created droplets on the window for them to watch. They loved seeing the droplets collide with one another.

“Have you decided on a name?” Double Trouble asked. Catra could barely process the question in her exhausted mind. As she looked at the city out the window and held the baby close, she blurted out the first name that came to mind.

“Finn…”

Catra had no idea where that name came from. She didn’t know what it meant. She didn’t know why she chose it. “Did you and Adora pick that together?” Double Trouble asked curiously.

“No…” Catra shook her head. “I… just made it up. I don’t know… We should probably talk about it at some point,” Catra shrugged. Double Trouble nodded as they pulled in front of the apartment building.

“You two going to be alright?” Double Trouble asked Catra and her child, Finn.

“I…” Catra tried to answer, but no words could capture the immense confusion, panic and grief in her heart. “Just… I’ll text you when I wake up so we can go visit Adora. Is that okay?”

“Of course,” Double Trouble nodded. Catra stepped out of the car, grabbing her things and holding the baby close as she walked through the rain soaked streets and into her dimly lit apartment building. The baby studied the interior.

She took the elevator up. As it rocked around, Catra took a few seconds to look down at the baby in her arms. She looked into their eyes and only saw Adora. And as they reached out for their mother, Catra took a second to place a kiss on their forehead. “Hey, Finn…” She spoke, trying to get a sense for the name.

She liked it.

When she entered the apartment, she had to dodge a few cardboard boxes. Her and Adora had been packing things to move out, so Finn would have to share a bed with Catra. Not that she minded. She wanted to keep an eye on Finn throughout the night.

The apartment was dark, but the open windows illuminated some light into the room as Catra made her way upstairs and onto the large bed. She laid Finn down on the bed, and went to go find the baby pyjamas she had picked out earlier in the week.

Catra took a few seconds to change Finn into the pyjamas. No fuss was made in the meantime. Catra was surprised. The baby made little noise at all, in fact. It helped, since every little noise from the world almost made Catra’s ears ring.

She laid down next to the baby, holding them close as she finally closed her eyes for the first time in a while. Her mind was filled with images of Adora in that hospital bed. Her pale skin. Her struggled breaths. The thoughts scared her.

But then, she felt something on her cheek.

She opened her eyes to see Finn, gently slapping her cheek. Catra let them do it. It was amusing, really. But eventually, it calmed Finn to the point that they closed their eyes and simply rested their hand on Catra’s cheek.

Catra looked at her sleeping child for a few minutes. There was some happiness. Some joy. But it was overshadowed by everything else. What could she do as a mother? How can she avoid repeating the hurt Shadow Weaver brought upon her?

Catra didn’t have the answers to those questions. And after almost twenty-four hours, she finally slept. She slept and held Finn close. She had a wife. She had a child. She was going to have a house. She had the ‘perfect life’.

And yet, even with all this, the future was still uncertain.


	7. Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra must come to terms with loss.

Even after all this time, they never bothered to change the bell.

The ringing throughout the factory signalled the end of Catra’s ten-hour shift. Her legs were aching, but that was almost normal at this point. She let out a sigh of relief, putting away her cart and stretching her arms above her head.

It was around four in the afternoon, and the orange sun glowed on the horizon. She was able to grab a quick glance at the sky as she walked over to the break room, grabbing her things and not talking to anyone on the way out.

These people were still strangers to her. And she liked to keep it that way.

She checked her phone as she walked out to the carpark. No notifications. No one to keep in contact with her. Friends were almost a distant memory. But she had almost grown used to it by this point, and she pocketed her phone as she made her way to her car.

It was an old one, but it was also the cheapest. As long as it got her to where she needed to go, that’s all that mattered to her. It felt warm to sit inside. Although, it was a bit of a mess. Some empty cans thrown about the floor. She promised herself to clean it up. Though, these days, she rarely kept her own promises to herself.

She started up the car, and reversed out. The drive home was only fifteen minutes, but it went through a busier part of town. She usually made it before peak hour traffic on day shifts. She was thankful for that.

Most of her shifts were meant to be night shifts, but on the rare occasion like today, she was called in for the day shift. It would’ve messed with her sleep schedule, but it’s not like she really had one. Looking after Finn kept her occupied during the day.

Thankfully, Double Trouble usually came around for her when she wasn’t available during the day. They still helped out, even after all this time. The debt Catra owed them was almost too great to speak of. It could never be repaid. Catra felt awful about it. Like she just used them constantly.

As she drove home, she came across a bar. A place to grab a drink and forget the week. “Don’t do it…” She whispered to herself, eyeing the bar constantly. She was supposed to come straight home. She wasn’t meant to make any stops. That was the promised she was supposed to keep.

But much like everything else, she broke it.

She put on her right indicator, pulling into a parking lot outside of the bar. One drink wouldn’t hurt, she figured. But that’s what she figured every time. Really, every time she pulled in here, she just hated herself even more.

She got out of the car and approached the bar. As she went to go enter, she was able to catch her own reflection in the dark window. She rarely looked at herself, but this time, she stopped. After the week she’s had, she just wanted to remind herself of who she was.

When she looked at her reflection, she saw herself with long, bushy hair. It was a lot like back in her high school days. Her short hair had grown out, and she hadn’t bothered to cut it in a while. Her piercings had been taken out, since that was against workplace policy these days.

And most notable to her were the intense bags under her eyes. She looked tired. She always looked tired. Almost like a ghost.

She sighed, running a hand through her long hair as she entered the bar. She didn’t fit in here. She knew that. But much like at the factory, these people were strangers to her, and she wanted to keep it that way. Make no connections with anyone else.

She often got drunk at the bar and remembered the past.

As she took a seat on the stool right outside the bartender’s workspace, she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She rarely received texts these days, so she almost instantly went to go check it. “What will you have?” The bartender asked.

But no response came from Catra.

The text read only a few words. But those words were enough to make her heart stop for a few seconds. The whole world went silent. Her breathing stopped. It was just a text. But with only a few words, it managed to turn her world upside-down.

The text told her of a loss. Someone had passed away.

She was gone.

Catra’s eyes were wide when she looked at the text. She soon realized her hands were shaking. Her breath came out in shudders as she slowly lowered the phone, looking at nothing in particular. Those few words had almost changed everything.

“Excuse me? Ma’am?” The bartender asked Catra. She almost looked shellshocked. She tried to speak, but no words came. She ran a hand over her mouth, not wanting to look anyone in the eye as she sighed.

“Give me the strongest thing you have,” Catra spoke in a quiet voice. She knew she’d hate it. But she didn’t give a damn anymore. Nothing mattered anymore.

She was always told that having a partner, a child, a job and a home were the keys to having a successful, fulfilling life. That once she acquired those things, she’d be happy. That everything would make sense. And yet nothing could be further from the truth.

Nothing about Catra’s world made her as happy as she used to be. That spark she used to have was almost a faint whisper. She felt like a miserable disappointment to everyone around her. Maybe that’s why everyone drifted away.

She drank whatever drink the bartender offered her. She didn’t care what it was. It burnt her throat. It was the only feeling she could render anymore. She looked at the text again. She was gone. Died in her sleep. She had been in the hospital for so long.

And now it was all too late.

* * *

The drive home was done in silence. She shouldn’t have been driving in the first place after drinking.

She pulled into the garage beside her house. The same house Adora loved. The one they purchased together and had lived in for a while now. It was clean. It looked comfortable. And yet, to Catra, it was just a place with a roof. Something to keep the rain away.

She cut the engine in her car, and took a few seconds to simply sit and wait. Double Trouble would’ve left a few minutes ago by now. They usually greeted Catra when she got home, but her trip to the bar probably made her miss that.

Double Trouble had told her to stop the drinking. She needed to think of her child, first and foremost. But Catra had betrayed their trust. Another thing she hated herself for.

Catra got out of her car, rubbing her eyes as she went to the front door and opened it up. The house was neat, with the living room to her right and the kitchen to her left, as well as a set of stairs before her that led up to the bedrooms.

Once the door was opened, Catra heard the familiar voice from upstairs. “Hi, mom!” Finn’s voice echoed out throughout the house as they ran from their bedroom and all the way downstairs. Their excitement could be felt in the loud, fast-paced footsteps.

But as they descended the stairs, they soon saw Catra. Their smile faded as they saw her. They wore a sleeveless white shirt and a pair of black shorts, and their hair was cut short, much like how Catra was back when Adora was in university.

“Oh…” Finn spoke softly. “Um… Hi, Catra.”

Catra did her best to put on a smile, waving to Finn. “Hey. You have a good day with DT?” Catra asked, trying to make some sort of conversation with them.

They nodded. “Yeah… Where’s mom?” They asked. Catra knew what they meant. She sighed.

“She…” Catra hesitated to respond, but she had to. She smiled again. “She’ll be home in a bit, alright?”

“Okay…” Finn responded. The awkward silence was common between the two of them. Finn was five years old now, but they still made it clear who their favorite parent was. And to them, Catra was almost a stranger. Like someone who arrived in the house for no reason, like a bad smell.

Finn didn’t hate her. They rarely hated anybody. But the way they treated Catra was no different to how they treated someone they had never seen before. And it would hurt, if Catra hadn’t grown so used to it after the five years since they were born.

Finn ran back upstairs without a word and Catra simply sighed. She placed her keys and wallet on the desk near the front door and went to the kitchen, slumping on the nearest seat. Her throat felt like acid was burning away at it. She ran a hand through her long hair, and covered her face.

She was gone. She was really fucking gone.

Catra looked around at the kitchen. It was rarely used. It was almost perfect, with nice gas stoves and a big oven. But her desire to cook had died slowly over time as work took away whatever free time she had left. On the weekends, she just mostly slept. Or tried to.

“Fuck…” Catra sighed. How does one process or even react to this? She had no clue. A loss so personal to her, one that she had never really experienced before. She had no idea how to feel about it.

But her thoughts were interrupted as the front door opened. Catra’s head shot up, and she looked over to the door.

“I’m home!” Called out Adora’s voice.

Catra’s wife carried a few bags of groceries into the house. Her long, golden hair was still the same after all this time. She wore a white button-up shirt and some denim jeans. She carried multiple loads of shopping bags in her strong arms. Catra desperately needed her now of all times.

Finn almost instantly came running down, and they wasted no time wrapping their arms around Adora’s waist. “Whoa, easy there… I don’t want to drop these,” Adora chuckled as she looked down at her child.

“I spent the day with DT,” Finn happily told Adora, a smile on their face as they looked up at her. “We watched some movies together. They’re really great at picking them out.”

“I know, right? They’re awesome, aren’t they?” Adora replied with excitement in her voice as she placed the grocery bags on the kitchen table. As Finn let get of Adora, Catra was able to get a look at her wife. “Hey there,” Adora smiled, leaning in and giving Catra a quick kiss on the lips.

“Hey yourself,” Catra replied, returning the kiss and leaning her forehead on Adora’s shoulder. She remembered the scare she had with Adora’s birth five years ago. Adora was in hospital for a couple of weeks, but much like the tough woman she is, she was able to recover.

For the past five years, Adora had been able to find her spark. Her purpose. She was a substitute teacher at Bright Moon Academy, and was slowly on her way to getting a promotion. She was often marking tests and scheduling classes when she was home, and along with all that, she took on the task of mostly raising Finn whilst Catra was busy with her job.

Catra admired Adora. She had made something of her life. She was a loving wife and mother. But when Catra looked at herself, she saw a miserable failure who had kept the same pointless job for a decade and had never found her spark. She was a nobody. Nothing.

“I need to talk to you,” Catra whispered as she held Adora close. She needed Adora, now more than never. And Adora understood.

“Finn, do you think you can go get the rest of those groceries with those strong arms of yours?” Adora asked them. Finn chuckled, liking the compliment as they instantly sprinted out of the house and towards Adora’s car, giving her and Catra some time alone. “Everything okay, wifey?” Adora asked.

“I… I don’t know,” Catra sighed. She leaned back, looking Adora in the eye and sighing. “I got a text a few minutes ago. I… I’m not sure how to process it.”

“What happened?” Adora asked. Catra looked down at the floor for a few seconds.

“It’s Shadow Weaver,” Catra said. “She… She passed away. Half hour ago. Her caretaker told me.”

Adora’s eyes widened as Catra told the news. She opened her mouth to tell Catra she was sorry to hear it, but instantly, she silenced herself. That wasn’t the right response. What was the right response? Adora struggled to find anything to say. Nothing came to mind. “How… How did it happen?” Adora asked. She wasn’t sure if it was okay to ask. But Catra didn’t seem to mind.

“Breast cancer,” Catra replied. “She’s had it for the last six years. You remember when she barged in on our wedding?”

“Yeah…” Adora nodded.

“She was… trying to tell me. But I just screamed at her,” Catra responded, her voice hoarse. “She was trying to make amends. Maybe… Find some forgiveness before she passed or something. She was in the hospital for the last few years of her life, and… Now she’s gone. Dead.”

“I…” Adora hesitated to say anything.

“I know. It’s… hard to know how to react, right?” Catra said, shrugging as she spoke. “I can barely process it myself. I mean… After all she did, she only sought forgiveness when she was dying. Is that horrible of her? Or… Am I in the wrong for cutting ties with her? Which of us is the more horrible person?”

“You’re not a horrible person,” Adora immediately spoke, holding Catra’s hand. She wasn’t sure of much, but she was absolutely certain that Catra was not in the wrong here. But Catra couldn’t agree with her. She saw herself as a monster.

“I just need a hug…” Catra sighed, wrapping her arms around Adora’s waist and holding her close. Adora wasted no time in returning the hug, putting a hand on the back of Catra’s head and brushing her hair gently.

“I love you…” Adora whispered into her ear, her fingers running through the locks on Catra’s hair. It felt soothing to touch, and sent tingles down Catra’s spine. She needed this. She desperately needed this.

“I love you too… You’re still here, even after all this time. I can never thank you enough,” Catra replied.

“I promised I’d always be with you. I intend to keep that promise,” Adora replied. She held Catra for a long time. Neither of them knew how long, but neither of them really cared. They just needed this. This love. This closeness.

“Um… Am I in trouble?” Finn’s voice suddenly cut in as the two of them held onto each other. They carried two sets of shopping bags, and looked up at their moms with a confused stare. Catra slowly separated from the hug and Adora smiled at them.

“Not at all. We just received a bit of weird news. But it’s nothing involving you,” Adora replied, taking the grocery bags from them. “Isn’t that right?” Adora asked Catra as she placed the bags on the table.

Catra exchanged an odd look with Finn. She could feel them studying her. Those eyes were always studying. Catra could never lie to them. She never has. “That’s right. You’re all good, Finn,” Catra smiled at them. She had told the truth, technically.

Finn looked at her for a few more seconds. Slowly, they walked towards Catra. And before she could react, Finn wrapped their arms around Catra’s waist, an act that seriously caught her off guard. Finn rarely hugged her. Catra looked at Adora awkwardly, but Adora simply smiled back.

“You look sad,” Finn said. Catra didn’t mean for it to be obvious. She didn’t want to drag them into this. But eventually, she wrapped her arms around her child and held them close. It felt nice.

“Thanks, kiddo,” Catra replied, rubbing Finn’s hair. But just as quickly as the hug was initiated, it was soon broken as Finn backed away and ran back upstairs. It was only a few brief seconds, but it helped Catra a lot. She was still confused, but she didn’t feel as miserable.

“I wish you two talked more,” Adora commented. Catra’s smile faded as she heard those words, but it was true. The awkwardness and unfamiliarity was not normal for a parent and a child. It was not meant to be that way.

But Catra was afraid. She was afraid of hurting Finn.

“I…” Catra sighed. “Is it okay if we pop into my old home for a bit? They told me I should go pick things up from Shadow Weaver’s house… Though, the caretaker is going to plan the funeral and all. They invited us.”

“Of course that’s okay. We’ll go now, I’ll just call DT to come mind Finn for a bit,” Adora replied. Catra felt horrible at bothering Double Trouble again, but they never seemed to really mind. They liked Finn, and Finn liked them. “Oh, and… Are we going to go to that funeral?”

Catra pondered for a few moments. She looked out the window to the orange sky. But no conclusion came to mind. She sighed.

“I don’t know.”

* * *

Catra’s old home looked nothing like when she last left it.

The curtains were all drawn to a close when she entered, leaving the house in utter darkness. She had attempted to turn on a light switch, but the power seemed to be cut. The curtains were covered in spider webs and mold.

Ever since Catra left, Shadow Weaver must’ve been stuck in a bad state. Catra assumed it may have been a deep depression that led to all this. She probably had no motivation to do much of anything. Catra hated that she could relate.

“God, the smell…” Adora covered her nose with her arm as they both entered the dark house. Catra knew it smelt horrible, almost liked expired milk or potatoes that had gone green. She grabbed a lighter from a bench and lit a few candles around the house. That seemed to be the way Shadow Weaver lit things up. She probably couldn’t afford electricity.

Of course, she probably rarely visited home in her last few years. The hospital had become her home. She had no one by her side, except for a hired caretaker. Maybe that’s why she barged in on Catra’s wedding. She needed the attention, or for the chance for Catra to be with her in her last years of life.

The kitchen had pots and pans almost chucked about. Old water clogged the sink. The candles were the only thing that could illuminate the house. Catra was unsure if there was even anything worth taking or selling. Most of everything was covered in mold or out of date.

“My bedroom is upstairs… That’s where my things should be,” Catra said to Adora. She noticed Adora’s face was pale from the stench. “Hey… You need to step outside?”

“Sorry…” Adora said. “But I just… I feel like I’m going to puke.”

“I’ll be down in a bit. You get some fresh air,” Catra said, and Adora took that as her cue to step out. She could understand why Adora hated it here. Not just for the smell, not just for the atmosphere, but the thought that this was the home where so much hurt had happened to her wife.

Indeed, even with the rundown state, memories were still flooding Catra’s mind. The time she had food taken from her and she nearly starved simply for being expelled. All the insults Shadow Weaver had thrown at her because she failed tests. The times she was locked in this home. The emotional manipulation. The weeks where she was treated like garbage because she ran away from her to Adora’s apartment.

Catra could smell whiskey as she went upstairs towards her bedroom. The scent only grew stronger and stronger as she approached the room. She used to hide a few drinks under her bed, but not to this level. It confused her.

She gently opened the bedroom door.

Her bed no longer had sheets. It was barren, and like many others things in this house, moldy. And across the floor were many whiskey bottles, some half-empty. She looked around, slowly stepping in and seeing the state of it.

A few pictures were on the bed. Catra picked them up, and saw they were all pictures of her and Shadow Weaver together, especially during her younger years. She was smiling in most of them. But back then, she had no idea what abuse even was. What Shadow Weaver was doing to her.

It seemed that this bedroom was a place of nostalgia for Shadow Weaver. Maybe she looked back on their relationship with fond memories. But Catra didn’t have a single picture of Shadow Weaver in her own home. She never wanted one.

She placed the pictures down. There was nothing of value in here. Not anymore. It was only bad memories.

She made her way back downstairs and found Adora slowly stepping back into the house after catching her breath. “Anything up there?” Adora asked.

“She had photos of us. And a bunch of whiskey bottles to go along with it. She was getting drunk and remembering the past…” Catra replied. Shadow Weaver’s last few years weren’t pretty. They were horrible. Alone. Sad.

“Do you… want to leave?” Adora asked, putting a hand on Catra’s shoulder. Catra looked around the house. The candles. The living room. The kitchen. The stairs. All of it was familiar, yet so distant. All of it brought about bad memories, but it was like a whole other place.

“… I’ve been to a few therapists in the last couple of years, Adora,” Catra started. Adora knew this. They had tried a few therapists to help with Catra’s miserable state. “But… None of them ever worked out. Getting help isn’t as easy as everyone says it is… It’s been nearly eleven years since I left Shadow Weaver, Adora. And yet I’m still just a shell of who I was. You’ve helped me so much… I’ll always be thankful to you… But what Shadow Weaver did to me… I don’t know if I can just ‘get better’ from that.”

“What she did to you… It was so horrible, Catra. I…” Adora sighed sadly. Catra walked towards one of the candles. She looked at the flame. The searing hot flame.

“You know what all those therapists said to me?” Catra asked. Adora shook her head. Confidentiality was important, after all. Catra scoffed. “They said… I should go find her… And forgive her. Forgive Shadow Weaver. Let go of our past and start anew. That I needed to… Let go of the hurt.”

Adora remained silent. Catra was still speaking as she looked at the flame. “After all… She sacrificed so much for me,” Catra continued. “Being a mother is never easy… The investment she put into raising me was so great, and yet I was never grateful. She was just stressed, right? I should forgive her because being a parent is just so hard, so of course she had a few bad moments. I should just look at the good. I mean, it’s not like she ever hit me. She was just stressed out. That’s what they all say…”

Catra clenched her fists. Adora noticed it. She noticed Catra’s body shaking. Her shaking breath. “Focus on the positive… Just forgive her… Move on…” Catra repeated the words to herself. She closed her eyes. She tried her best. She wanted to take a breath and walk away. And Adora went to go grab her hand.

But it was too late. Suddenly, Catra grabbed a burning hot candle and threw it at a curtain.

And as the flame from the candle slowly lit the curtain on fire, Catra screamed.

It was the loudest scream Adora had ever heard in her life. It pierced her ears, but she simply looked at Catra with wide eyes. Catra felt her lungs burn raw from the scream, and she slowly broke down into sobs, her fingers gripping her hair tight.

Tears flooded Catra’s red, stinging, tired eyes. Her sobs were painful as she looked at the flaming curtain. The fire was rapidly beginning to spread to the carpet and to the furniture. Catra panted rapidly, her heart racing as she looked at what she had done.

She let Shadow Weaver win again. One more time.

The hatred and anger filling her heart flooded into her emotions and into her actions. Forgiveness was nowhere to be found in her heart, not after everything Shadow Weaver did. But there was also no forgiveness for herself. Catra hated herself. She hated herself so fucking much.

As the fire and smoke began to fill the room, Catra took in a breath and spoke her last words to Shadow Weaver. “BURN IN HELL!” She screamed again. She could barely breath. Adora quickly grabbed her hand as she broke down into agonizing, rage-filled tears.

“Catra, we need to go. Now,” Adora said, hurrying Catra as the fire rapidly began to engulf the whole house. Catra wasn’t moving. She was fine with staying and burning. Adora tugged Catra away, pulling her to the door. “Catra, now!”

Catra let Adora take her. She stared at the home she grew up in as it was swallowed in fire. The anger in her eyes shot daggers at the memories within. She burnt away her past. She turned it into ash.

And her eyes never left the flames.

* * *

Double Trouble smiled down at Finn as they slowly pieced together the toy house made of blocks.

They were only supposed to look after the child for less than an hour whilst Catra visited her home. They had heard of Shadow Weaver’s passing and knew what Catra must be going through. The confusion and anger in her heart.

Finn didn’t know about it just yet. Maybe they would in time.

As the afternoon sky surrounded them, Double Trouble and Finn played outside together. Finn loved building things, and then tearing them apart. It was odd, but it made them happy. And Double Trouble loved their laughter.

As they stood up and left Finn to their own devices, they soon turned around.

And immediately, Double Trouble’s eyes widened.

They saw a thick, black smoke flood the afternoon sky in the distance, right where Catra’s old home was. There was no mistaking that it was a fire. They stared as the smoke engulfed the orange, beautiful sky.

“Oh my god…” Double Trouble put a hand over their mouth. They knew what had happened. They knew what Catra had just done. There was no mistaking it. After how low Catra had been the last few years, it would make sense that Shadow Weaver’s death would take her over the edge.

Double Trouble heard sirens, and saw fire trucks fly by on the road towards the home. They had to put it out before the fire caught onto other houses in the neighborhood. It might’ve been too late by then.

As smoke engulfed the sky, as fire swallowed the house and as fire trucks drove by a high speeds, Finn’s curious eyes looked up and saw everything that was going on.

It was a sight Finn would never forget.


	8. A Very, Very Bad Person

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the fire, Catra must deal with the consequences of her own actions. Adora and Double Trouble both reach their breaking points. Catra encounters someone from her past who she never wanted to see again.

When Double Trouble saw a car pull into the garage outside of Adora and Catra’s house, they were still unsure of what to say to the two of them.

What was meant to be an hour-long session of looking after Finn had turned into them staying until eleven o’clock at night, anxiously waiting for the two of them to return. Hoping that the two of them weren’t injured in the fire.

Even if it was highly likely to be caused by Catra.

They knew that Catra was going through a lot right now, but in their heart, they also knew what Catra did was extremely dangerous. They had both empathy and bitterness in their heart, and they didn’t know which one they should express more.

The front door opened, and Adora and Catra stepped in. Adora had an arm around Catra’s shoulder, but Catra’s eyes almost looked dead. There was little light in them. After hours of questioning, she just wanted to lie down.

“Adora… Catra…” Double Trouble spoke, standing up from the living room couch and approaching the married couple.

“DT? What are you still doing here?” Adora asked with wide eyes as Catra went to go sit at the kitchen table.

“You weren’t coming back, and I wasn’t just going to leave Finn by themselves until I was certain you two would return,” Double Trouble said sternly, glancing a look at Catra. She looked out of it, like the conversation was barely processing in her head.

“I... DT, we should pay you. We didn’t mean to force you here for so…” Adora frantically searched for her wallet, but Double Trouble held up a dismissive hand.

“I don’t care about the money. Finn’s upstairs in bed, but they were asking me a lot of questions,” Double Trouble said, before they looked over to Catra yet again. “Namely… Why was there so much smoke in the sky?”

Catra heard the question, but she didn’t so much as acknowledge them. She stared at her own hands on the table. “DT…” Adora went to go stop them.

“Do the police know she burnt down the house?” Double Trouble asked. Adora instantly opened her mouth to respond, but Double Trouble cut her off. “Don’t try and tell me you had nothing to do with it. I’m concerned that Finn’s going to grow up with one of their mom’s in prison for arson.”

“No!” Adora shook her head. “We… We convinced the cops it was an accident. And it mostly was! Catra, you didn’t mean to burn down the house! Right?”

The two of them looked to Catra. They both waited in silence as Catra looked down at the table, processing everything and trying to collect her thoughts. Slowly, she looked up at Double Trouble. “I didn’t mean for it to happen… But I don’t regret it.”

Double Trouble stared with wide eyes at Catra. “You don’t…” They spoke to themselves, trying to gauge how to even react to something like that. There was so many variables in it all. The abuse Catra endured and the deep depression she has landed herself in. “Catra… I know you’re hurting right now… And I’m so sorry that Shadow Weaver did any of that to you. You don’t deserve it.”

Catra looked back down at the table. “I don’t deserve it…? What a joke…” Catra scoffed.

“… Okay, you know what? No. I’m not taking this bullshit anymore.”

Both Adora and Catra were stunned to hear Double Trouble’s sudden change of tone. They both looked up to see them, looking angrier than they ever have in their entire life. They weren’t enraged or majorly pissed off. But more than anything, they were annoyed.

“Catra, you need to stop and think about what you have just done. Do you realize how bad things could be right now?” Double Trouble asked, but Catra was still in a blank state. “Catra, look at me when I’m talking to you!”

Catra jolted, and immediately snapped her head towards Double Trouble’s direction. “That fire could’ve caught on to other homes! It could’ve killed someone! How do you think me or Adora could’ve explained that to Finn?”

“I know, DT. I know I’m a horrible person, alright?” Catra started to return.

“Stop calling yourself a horrible person! Stop wallowing in this self-pity!” Double Trouble interrupted them. “Catra… I’m not blaming you for being in this state. I’m not blaming you for the abuse you endured. None of that is your fault. But you still have the power to change.”

“You don’t understand this, DT. You don’t get it at all. This pain…” Catra croaked out, her voice weak as she spoke. “The things she did to me… Do you think it’s just easy to get over it? That I can just magically get better and stop being depressed?”

“No! Of course I don’t think that! But I know that you’re strong, Catra! I know that you can still try to heal!” Double Trouble spoke, before simply sighing. “I… I know this isn’t my place to tell you these things, Catra. But you, and you alone, need to take the first step… You need to learn how to forgive yourself. I know it’s hard… But you have the strength to at least try. And I’m not saying you should do that just for the sake of your family… I’m saying you need to do it for the sake of yourself.”

“I…” Catra tried to respond, but no words came. She looked up to Adora, hoping she’d have some sort of solution. But Adora was silent. She was simply watching.

“I’m sorry, darling… Maybe I shouldn’t have gotten so fired up, but my point still stands,” Double Trouble said. “I love you. Adora loves you. And although it might be a bit confusing, I’m sure Finn loves you too. We just all want to see you happy again… But we can’t do anything. We’ve given you all of our love. That first step towards healing… You need to take it yourself. Otherwise… I’m scared of the dark path you’ll go down. And I don’t know if you’ll be able to come back.”

There was only silence that followed from all three of them. Double Trouble’s gut felt heavy, and the guilt had set in as they looked down at Catra. Maybe they had gone too far. But they still hoped Catra took in what they said. “I’ll… I’ll leave you two be. You can call me whenever to look after Finn.”

“Thank you…” Adora said softly. Catra didn’t say a single word. And with that silence, Double Trouble took their leave.

“Let me guess. You agree with them? That I’m not happy because I’m just not trying hard enough?” Catra said. Adora sighed, putting a hand on Catra’s back.

“Maybe it was too harsh of a tone… But I think you really need to think about what they said, Catra. I don’t think that’s what they meant,” Adora said. Catra knew those were the words that were going to come out of her mouth.

Catra didn’t want to agree with Double Trouble. She didn’t want to admit they were right. The idea was scary. Terrifying.

“Can I…” Catra sighed. “Can I have a hug?”

Adora didn’t hesitate to kneel down and wrap her arms around Catra, holding her close. Catra held onto Adora’s hand as she felt her wife hold her close. It was a warm feeling. One that sent tingles down her spine. She loved Adora’s hugs.

But she was beginning to wonder if they were enough.

Soon enough, Adora heard the soft pitter-patter of footsteps, and looked to see her child standing by the stairs, watching the two of them. “Hey, Finn…” Adora smiled at them. “You’re up past your bedtime.”

“Sorry…” Finn mumbled. “I was just getting a glass of water.”

“I see,” Adora replied, standing back up. “I think you can help them with that,” Adora said to Catra.

“Me?” Catra asked, looking up at Adora with shock in her eyes. It was almost like Adora had thrown her under the bus, but the bus was basic parenting.

“Yeah. I’ve got a school trip to plan for next week,” Adora explained. Before Catra could say any more, Adora gave a quick kiss on her forehead and went to her study area to plan for the trip, leaving Finn and Catra alone in the kitchen.

Catra knew what she was planning. She didn’t blame her. But the awkwardness in the room peaked with just the two of them there.

“So… How was your night?” Catra asked them as she got up, grabbing a glass from one of the cabinets. It sounded like a dumb question in her mind, but she had no clue what else to say.

“Okay, I guess… I thought you and mom would be home earlier,” Finn admitted. Catra filled the glass up with water from the fridge, and handed it to them.

“Yeah… Sorry, kiddo. Things came up that we weren’t exactly planning for,” Catra said, sitting back down at the kitchen table. She expected them to pounce back upstairs after receiving the glass, but soon enough, Finn also took a seat at the kitchen table.

“Am I… allowed to know what happened?” Finn asked, looking at their mother. Catra looked down at her child, wondering how to even respond to that. After all, technically, Shadow Weaver was Finn’s grandmother, though Catra had never told them about her in their life.

“Well… It’s a bit sad,” Catra replied, and Finn nodded.

“You were sad earlier. That makes sense,” Finn commented. Smart kid, Catra thought.

“I got some news earlier… My mom passed away,” Catra told Finn. She could see the genuine shock in their reaction. Their eyes widening as they looked up.

“Oh…” Finn spoke softly, holding the glass of water in their hand. “I didn’t know you had a mom.”

“Yeah. I never told you about her. Her name was Shadow Weaver,” Catra explained. “But the thing is… Shadow Weaver was a very, very bad person. She hurt me a lot when I was younger. And because she hurt me, I decided I didn’t want to speak to her again.”

“Even though she’s your mom?” Finn asked, and Catra nodded.

“Your own family should never hurt you intentionally, Finn. It can happen by mistake sometimes, but we should always apologize when mistakes happen,” Catra said. She was worried she was saying things that were going over Finn’s head, but they seemed to be listening intently. “Shadow Weaver… Hurt me on purpose, and she did it a lot.”

“That’s bad…” Finn said with a soft tone.

“Yeah. So… It’s a bit confusing how to feel. Does that make sense?” Catra asked.

“She’s your mom… But she hurt you… But she passed away…” Finn looked at their glass of water, trying to piece together everything in a way that made sense.

“You wanna know something, Finn?” Catra asked, and their eyes perked up. “It doesn’t make sense to me either. Grown-ups usually don’t know everything. And that’s okay. Feeling confused about something like this is normal. I’m confused too.”

“Okay…” Finn nodded, feeling a little relieved upon hearing that. “So… Why were you gone for so long?”

“Well… I was called to come visit her home. It used to be where I live. But it was a bad place,” Catra said. She opened her mouth to continue, but she soon realized what came next. What she would be telling Finn.

Did they need to know? Was it okay? Or would they be scared? After all, they were only five.

No. They deserved to know the truth.

“I… I got upset. And I accidentally… I accidentally burnt the house down,” Catra said. “It was something I shouldn’t have done… It was dangerous. It was dumb. It could’ve hurt other people.”

“Did you get in trouble?” Finn asked with a worried tone. Catra felt her heart grow heavy, but she shook her head.

“It was an accident, so… No. I didn’t. But I still shouldn’t have done it,” Catra explained. “Grown-ups make mistakes too. But we should always learn from them and try not to repeat them, alright? So don’t you go burning down houses just because I did,” Catra said with a chuckle, trying to lighten the tone.

“I won’t,” Finn said with the tiniest of laughs. It was one of the first times Catra had made Finn laugh. Catra couldn’t help but take pride in it.

“You okay, kiddo? Not too scared?” Catra asked, but Finn shook their head.

“I was scared of the big, black smoke earlier… But now that I know what it was from, I guess it’s not that scary,” Finn shrugged, putting the finished glass on the table. “Thanks for telling me the truth.”

“You’re welcome, kiddo,” Catra said. Without really thinking, she put a hand atop Finn’s head and rubbed their long, almost golden hair, which looked much like Adora’s. It was a weird gesture, but Finn seemed to like it. “Now run upstairs. You’re up way past your bedtime.”

“Okay,” Finn nodded, before hopping out of the seat and jogging back up the stairs towards their room. Catra smiled as she watched her child run away. It was one of her first genuine conversations with her child, after five years.

“You two were talking a lot,” Adora said, conveniently emerging right as Finn ran away. Catra didn’t blame her for practically setting up the meeting. It was nice to have.

“They’re a smart kid,” Catra smiled. Adora was happy to see Catra smile again, even if it was only for a few brief seconds.

“Say… How would you feel if we took them out to the playground this Sunday?” Adora asked. “We haven’t been there in a while. Might help things. Plus, I have to leave on Monday for the school trip, so it can be a temporary goodbye.”

“You sure it won’t be too cold?” Catra asked, but Adora shook her head.

“Nah. Finn loves the cold. I’m pretty sure their favorite season is Winter.”

* * *

Even though Catra could see her own breath form in a mist in front of herself, she was glad to see that Finn was having fun on the playground.

She wore her jacket, winter pants and beanie, sitting at the bench, watching Finn slowly climb atop the playground to go down the slide again. It wasn’t snowing just yet, but the weather was definitely chilly enough to convince most families not to come to the playground.

Fortunately, Finn had a love for the cold.

This mostly meant they only had to share the playground with a few other kids instead of a dozen different families. Catra could tell they were much happier about this as they went down the slide again. They waved in her direction after reaching the bottom of slide, and Catra returned the wave.

As did Adora, who sat next to Catra on the bench.

“So, how’s that school trip coming along?” Catra asked her wife as they both watched their child go around the playground, going underneath the structure.

“I think we’re all set. I’m mostly there because one teacher got sick and had to pull out, so they called me up instead,” Adora explained, smiling as she watched Finn look around the tall playground. “It’ll be a week-long thing, and we’ll be visiting the city. I’m honestly kind of excited for it.”

“Excited to be telling a bunch of kids to shut up and go to sleep at around one in the morning each night?” Catra asked with a scoff.

“You always remind me why you shouldn’t be a teacher,” Adora replied with a smirk. Catra never did imagine herself in a teaching position. Hell, not even a parenting position. She’d never been all too confident with kids.

“Well, I should have enough days off to look after Finn in the meantime without having to rely on DT the entire time. Saved up all my vacation days for something like this,” Catra said, leaning her head on Adora’s shoulder. “Though… I don’t exactly know what we’re going to do together. We had that one talk Friday night, but… Things are still weird.”

“Well, take this as a learning opportunity. You and Finn need to start talking more. They’re your child, Catra,” Adora said with a stern tone. Catra sighed.

“I know… I just don’t want to mess this up. What Shadow Weaver did to me… I don’t want my own child to go through something like that,” Catra responded.

“So, what, you think you’re just suddenly going to start abusing them if you keep talking to them?” Adora asked. Catra shook her head.

“No… I just… I don’t know, Adora,” Catra said. “I… I don’t want to talk about this right now. Especially given everything that’s been going on lately.”

“Catra…” Adora opened her mouth to speak, but she soon silenced herself. There was no direction this conversation could go that would end well. “Alright. But there’s no stopping the fact you’ve got a week alone with them, and you can’t spend it in silence. Just think about that.”

“I will, I will…” Catra replied. Adora was right. But Catra didn’t want to admit it. She didn’t want to admit that practically ignoring her own child was potentially more harmful than even trying to make a relationship at all.

Catra was always scared of doing something to hurt Finn. She was scared of messing things up or ruining everything she worked for. If she desperately tried to raise Finn and yet failed, wouldn’t that just hurt her more than if she never tried at all?

That was her philosophy. Her way of thinking. But she was slowly starting to realize that that way of thinking was only hurting her more. And it was hurting Finn too.

“Whoa… Hey there!” Catra suddenly heard a voice to her right, and perked up to see a man, dressed in a large coat and a scarf, waving towards her. “Catra, right? It’s been a while!” He called out, waving to her from the edge of the playground.

Catra, however, had no idea who this man was. That didn’t stop the fact that he was walking towards her, and she knew she’d have to talk to him. She stood up, and so did Adora, though she hanged back a bit whilst Catra approached him. “Uh… I’m sorry, I don’t quite recognize you?” Catra said.

“You don’t? Well, that’s a bit awkward… Uh, how do I put this…” The man cleared his throat. “My name’s Alex? That ring any bells? From high school.”

Catra looked him up and down. But slowly, she shook her head. “Sorry, dude… That was eleven years back.”

“Well, twelve, actually. Do you… remember when you got expelled?” Alex said.

And then, it hit Catra.

Alex. The boy she beat up. The reason she got expelled. He made a snide remark about her parents abandoning her, and that caused her to pounce on him.

“Oh… Oh, shit…” Catra’s eyes widened, taking a step back as she realized exactly what was going on. “Look, I… I don’t want any trouble, alright? Just… I’m here with my family, so…”

“Oh, I’m not here out of a grudge or anything. I just happened to spot you and thought I should say hey,” Alex shrugged. “Is… That your wife?” He asked, pointing to Adora.

“Uh… Yeah…” Catra nodded, though she was still hesitant to say anything to him. She remembered his bleeding, bruised face. The blood on her hands. His groans of pain. And yet, he said he wasn’t there out of a grudge. So why was he here? Why did he call out?

“… Who are you?” A soft voice spoke, and Catra and Alex looked down to see Finn, standing beside them. They seem to have spotted Alex, and were concerned about what was happening. “Why are you talking to my mom?”

“Oh, is this your mommy?” Alex asked Finn, kneeling down before them. He put a strong hand on their shoulder, and instantly, that shot a thousand volts up Catra’s spine. She quickly kicked into protective gear, storming towards Alex. “Hey, hey, calm down. I’m not going to do anything,” Alex said to Catra, shushing her.

“She’s… She’s my mom…” Finn said, looking to Adora and Catra like a cry for help. Alex let out a soft, friendly chuckle.

“Well, kid, you want to know something?” Alex asked, leaning towards Finn so that his eyes were inches away from theirs. Catra didn’t want to surrender to anger again. She didn’t want that rage to burst forth once more.

But in hindsight, maybe she should’ve let it all out.

Alex spoke slowly. “Your mommy, Catra… Did you know she’s a very, very bad person?”

Catra felt her heart drop.

“Huh…?” Finn made a soft noise, their wide eyes looking towards Catra.

“She beat me up when she was younger. Started punching me over and over again, like some lunatic. Oh, you should’ve seen her when she was angry,” Alex said with wide, unblinking eyes. “But… You wanna know what I was thinking in that moment? I was praying to god… That she would never have a kid… Because, boy, if that kid even ticked her off a little bit… Imagine the things she’d do to them…”

But soon enough, Alex was cut off as Adora took initiative, grabbing him by his jacket and throwing him onto the grass, away from Finn. “Back off!” Adora called out, putting herself between Finn and Alex.

And yet, Catra just stood there. Wide eyed. Frozen. Useless.

“Your wife is a psychopath! The fuck were you thinking, having a kid with her?!” Alex called out, standing up and dusting himself off. “I should call the CPS! Who knows what she’s doing to that poor child at home?!”

“I said back the fuck off!” Adora yelled, pointing to Alex. “Don’t you EVER fucking dare lay a finger on my wife or child again!” Adora spoke through gritted teeth, the fury in her eyes being one of the most terrifying things Catra had ever seen.

“… You two were made for each other, huh?” Alex said, looking between Adora and Catra. “God help your souls. And god help your child.”

And with that, Alex left the two of them behind.

Catra stood and stared. The entire line of events still processing in her mind. She should’ve done something. But hitting him would’ve just proven his point, wouldn’t it? She had no idea how to feel. She had no idea what could’ve been done in the first place.

“Finn, are you okay? Did he hurt you?” Adora asked, kneeling down before her child.

“Uh-uh…” Finn shook their head. Catra turned to face Finn, but she only saw their wide eyes. Their blank face. Their stare. She saw that those words Alex said stuck with them. They had a sense of familiarity about them. Like Finn had heard those exact words before from Catra.

And so, all Catra could do was look away out of guilt.

* * *

Catra awoke from her two hours of sleep that Monday morning to see Adora slowly getting out of bed.

Ever since the encounter with Alex the previous day, Catra found herself in an odd state. Like nothing was real. Like the past that she had tried to burn away was slowly catching up with her. It caused her to lose sleep, and to lose a tiny bit of sanity.

Whenever she closed her eyes, all she could see was Finn’s look. Their confusion. Their stare. Catra hadn’t spoken to them since the encounter yesterday. She could barely bring herself to look at them. How could she ever explain her actions?

Adora sat on the edge of the bed with her phone in hand, and as she finished sending a text and went to go get up, she suddenly felt Catra grab her hand. She stopped in her path, and turned to look down at Catra. “Morning, Catra,” Adora smiled down at her wife, rubbing her palm with her hand. “Did I wake you?”

“I barely slept. It’s fine,” Catra shook her head. “You… You have to leave for that school trip now, right?”

“Yeah,” Adora shook her head. “I have to be there early to pack and get things ready.”

Catra stayed silent for a few seconds, holding onto Adora’s hand. She looked down at the bed, and spoke a few quite words. “… Don’t go…”

“W… What?” Adora asked, not sure if she was hearing Catra right.

“Please don’t go,” Catra pleaded. “Don’t leave me alone here.”

“I… Catra, you’re not going to be alone. You have Finn,” Adora said, but Catra still couldn’t look her own wife in the eye. “… You’re scared to talk to them, aren’t you? After yesterday?”

“Talk to them? I can barely look at them. They probably see me as some monster now…” Catra mumbled, trying to hold back some tears. “Please stay. I’m begging you, Adora. I… I can’t trust myself to be alone with them.”

“What does that even mean?” Adora asked, shaking her head. “Catra, I can’t just pull out now. They’ll never get a replacement in time and they’ll probably have to cancel the whole trip. How would that look on my record?”

“So you’re choosing your job over me,” Catra grumbled.

“Catra, you know I can’t just not go. I need this job, for all of us,” Adora spoke sternly. She let out a sigh. “Look… I love you, alright? I’ll text you when I can. But I have to leave in ten minutes. I can’t be late.”

With that, Adora began to stand up, making her way to the bathroom. She went to go open the door to take a shower, but soon, she felt Catra’s arms wrap around her waist from behind, holding her close and gently stopping her. “Adora… I’m scared,” Catra whispered. “I… I need you. Like when you helped me out of that whole situation with Shadow Weaver in high school. I can’t do this alone.”

Adora stayed silent for a few seconds. “Catra…” Adora spoke softly. “Please let go of me.”

Instantly, Catra did what she said, taking her arms away. It hurt her heart to hear. Adora had never said anything like that to her. “Sorry…” Catra mumbled.

Adora sighed, turning around to face her wife. “I understand that you’re going through a lot of hurt right now. I want to be here for you, I really do. But even if I didn’t have to leave for this trip, I still firmly believe you need some time alone with Finn. They barely know their other mother. That’s… That’s not normal, Catra.”

“Why…?” Catra asked.

“Catra, you can’t let Shadow Weaver hold you back anymore!” Adora suddenly spoke up, startling Catra slightly. Adora immediately took a breath, lowering her voice. “What she did to you is not your fault… But that doesn’t mean you should just give up on everything. You need to choose to move forward, Catra. You have to make the decision to look up and try to heal.”

“But I need your help…” Catra spoke.

“I have given you… everything,” Adora shook her head, letting out a sigh. “I’ve given you my heart… I’ve given you my future… I don’t regret a single second. But I can’t fix this for you. No one can. Only you, and you alone, can take that first step. I can’t drag you the whole way. Back in high school, it was you who chose to run away from Shadow Weaver. It was you who chose to move in with me. I may have helped a bit… But you chose for yourself. And you need to do that again.”

Catra stared at her wife with wide eyes, unsure of how to respond. Adora could see that her words were hitting deep. She brushed a strand of hair behind Catra’s ear. “I’m not asking you to do this for me. I’m not even asking you to do this for Finn. I’m asking you to do this for yourself. You owe yourself everything, Catra. You deserve to be happy. Focus on yourself. Learn to forgive yourself. Please. I’m scared of what’s going to happen if you don’t…”

Catra looked down at the floor, her eyes nearly shut. Her throat was tight, and her heart was fluttering. But through it all, she was able to nod. “I’ll try…”

“Thank you,” Adora smiled, leaning forward and planting a deep kiss on Catra’s forehead that lasted for a few seconds. “I love you so much. If you really, desperately need me, you can call me. Alright?”

“Okay…” Catra replied with a hoarse whisper. With that, she felt Adora’s hand slip away from her cheek, and saw her wife walk away to prepare for the week-long trip. Catra stood alone in the bedroom, her heart heavy and her mind cluttered.

And she wondered how the hell she was going to get through this week with Finn.


	9. Exotic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra and Finn spend some much-needed time together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, all! Just a quick pop-in once more to talk about my schedule!
> 
> I hope you're all having an okay 2021 so far, despite some really unfortunate circumstances that have gone on recently. You're all incredible and I give you all of my love <3
> 
> A few real-life things are coming up at the moment, which means I might be a day late on some chapters as we approach the finale. Rest assured, this story will be finished within the week! It just might take a bit longer than anticipated. I'm excited to get the rest of the chapters out there! Your support means the world!

It was almost another hour before Catra finally made her way downstairs.

Adora had already left and was probably long gone by now. She had left with a kiss, but what stuck with Catra the most were her words. Catra was still processing them. They sounded more spiteful in her head, but she knew it was just her brain trying to reject Adora’s way of thinking.

What Adora said was probably right. But Catra didn’t know what she was going to do if she had to admit that.

Nevertheless. There was no changing the fact that she now had a week with Finn. Catra had secured her vacation days until Adora returned, which meant she now had five days of being able to just have some time at home.

But Catra still hadn’t been able to figure out what the hell she was supposed to do with Finn.

She knew it was ridiculous. She was a mother, she was meant to be there for her child, and yet, she was still nothing. A stranger. An outsider. And she didn’t even know if she was determined to fix that. After everything that had happened recently, would Finn even want to give her a chance?

Uncertainty was in her mind. And she had no answers to anything. She was lost and confused. Perhaps more than her own child.

Once Catra finally arrived downstairs and made her way to the kitchen, she saw Finn already seated at the kitchen table, wearing their pyjamas, which consisted of a onesie shaped like a dinosaur. Their eyes gazed towards her.

“Morning, kiddo,” Catra greeted with the best smile she could manage as she entered the kitchen.

“Um…” Finn stuttered for a bit. “Hi Catra…”

Catra let out a gentle sigh, not loud enough for Finn to hear. “How long you been waiting here for, bud?” She asked, crossing her arms and leaning against a wall as she looked down at her child.

“I don’t know… A little bit,” Finn shrugged. “Mom usually makes me pancakes on Monday.”

“Is that so?” Catra asked, raising an eyebrow. She was trying to figure out if Finn was telling the truth or if they just wanted pancakes. After all, it’s not like Catra would really know. But when she saw Finn’s enthusiastic nod, Catra couldn’t help but oblige. “Alright. I’ll see if I can make you a batter.”

“A… batter?” Finn asked, tilting their head to the side.

“You know. The mix. Stuff you put in the pan to make pancakes,” Catra explained as she opened the fridge, fishing out some butter, a few eggs and some buttermilk. She also raided the pantry for flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

“Oh… That stuff. Mom usually gets it in a box,” Finn said, confused as to why Catra was getting so many ingredients and two large bowls out from the drawer.

“Of course she does,” Catra scoffed, pouring the flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar and salt into one bowl. “You can always find easy ways to do things, kiddo. And there’s nothing wrong with that most of the time. But taking the time to fully develop something on your own with the raw ingredients… Well, it usually leads to more yummy food.”

“Okay…” Finn replied, almost transfixed as Catra poured the buttermilk into another bowl, before cracking in an egg using only one hand. “Whoa…” They exclaimed as Catra cracked open the egg, before adding some melted butter.

Catra couldn’t help but feel a tad impressed with herself as her own child watched her like some professional chef when she was making a simple breakfast. She whisked together the wet ingredients, before adding them to the dry ones. As she went to go whisk them together, she looked up at Finn and suddenly had an idea.

“You reckon you can mix this all together?” Catra asked, handing the bowl over to them.

“I… I’ve never done this before…” Finn hesitated, flinching away from the bowl of batter. “I don’t want to make you mad if I mess it up...”

Catra’s smile from before slowly faded as she heard those words. “Finn… I’m not going to get mad at you. I promise. Have I ever done that before?” She asked, trying to reassure her child. Finn pondered for a few moments, before shaking their head.

“But… That man from yesterday said…” Finn was hesitant to get the words out.

“Hey. You don’t have to be scared of talking to me about this stuff,” Catra spoke softly with them. “You’re allowed to feel what you feel. That man from yesterday… What he said was true. It was almost twelve years ago, and he said something horrible to me, and I got mad at him and hurt him. That doesn’t excuse my behavior. But he wasn’t telling the whole truth.”

“Oh…” Finn said quietly.

“I sometimes get a bit mad at people, yes. But most of the time, it’s because they did something bad to me. I would never get mad at you. You know, in my eleven years of being with Adora, I’ve never gotten angry at her like I do with some other people?” Catra said.

“Really…?” Finn asked.

“Really. Sometimes we have moments where we got annoyed or upset. But I love her. I would never get mad at her. And I would never get mad at you too, buddy. I’ve had my moments with people who have wronged me… And I’m working on controlling myself so I don’t stoop down to their level. But you don’t have to be worried,” Catra smiled. “Alright?”

“Alright... Alright. I believe you,” Finn nodded, before reaching out to the bowl and whisk. Using their small hands, they slowly stirred the mixture, incorporating the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

“That’s good,” Catra complimented their stirring. “Be careful. You don’t want to overmix it. That’ll lead to tough pancakes, and the only tough pancake we need here is you.”

Finn couldn’t help but giggle at the weird compliment, and after a few more seconds, they looked at the batter. “Is that okay…?” They asked, looking up at Catra. She investigated the mix closely for a few seconds…

Before flashing a thumbs-up. “Nice work, kiddo.”

Finn smiled as Catra took the bowl away, walking towards the preheating pan with some butter placed inside. The batter was enough for some pancakes for the both of them, though Catra didn’t feel terribly hungry that morning.

Finn got off the chair and walked towards Catra as she slowly poured the batter into the pan. They tried to peek into the pan to see what was going on, but they were a tad too short. Catra noticed their attempts to look up. “You wanna see what’s going on?” Catra asked.

“Uh-huh,” Finn nodded. Catra pondered for a few seconds, before reaching down towards Finn and putting her hands under their arms, lifting them up suddenly and placing Finn on her shoulders. “W… Whoa!” Finn cried out as they were suddenly lifted high up.

“You okay up there?” Catra asked her child riding her shoulders. Finn could only respond with a few laughs as they held onto Catra’s hair for balance. It didn’t hurt too much. “Try not to fall off!”

“I won’t!” Finn replied between laughs. Catra looked down at the pan for a few seconds.

“Alright, watch closely, bud,” Catra got their attention, pointing to the pancake. “See those little bubbles forming there?” She pointed to the edges of the cooking batter.

“Uh-huh,” Finn responded, leaning down slightly to get a better look.

“I’m waiting for those bubbles to form all over the pancake. Once that’s happened, and the underneath is golden, I can flip it. So, you reckon you can tell me when to flip?” Catra asked, looking up at them as she gave them the difficult task.

“Yep!” Finn responded with much more enthusiasm. Catra couldn’t help but smile. It was nice that they had grown a bit more comfortable around her.

They watched the pancake batter with narrowed eyes for a few seconds as small bubbles began to form all around the batter. Catra knew when she needed to flip, but she waited for Finn to give their approval, which took a few seconds too long, but Catra didn’t mind.

“And… Go!” Finn pointed to the batter. Catra held onto the handle of a pan, but Finn soon realized she was missing a spatula. They had no idea how she was going to the flip the…

Finn’s line of thinking was cut as Catra tossed the pancake in the air, flipping it and firmly landing it back in the pan.

It was one of the coolest things Finn had ever seen in their entire life.

The pancake was a bit too dark, but Finn didn’t even seem to care. “That… that was awesome!” They cheered, holding onto Catra’s hair tighter.

“Takes some practise, but it impresses everyone. I’m glad you like it,” Catra smiled. As the pancakes finished cooking, she placed Finn back down on the floor and let them return to the seat. They watched Catra as she continued to cook.

It had been a while since she was so into this. Work had taken away so much of her time that the passion she had for cooking and food was forcibly stripped away. But now, making pancakes for her child, she felt like she could recapture that passion.

Eventually, Catra plated up three pancakes before Finn. “You like any toppings with that? It’s not like we’re trying to be healthy here,” Catra smirked as she plated up her own smaller pancakes. Finn pondered for a few seconds.

“M… Ma…” They tried to get the words out, but it was caught in their throat. How did one say it again? Their mind ran a blank.

“Maple syrup…?” Catra suggested, and Finn nodded.

“I forgot the words,” they giggled.

Catra could only chuckle as she got some of the syrup from the pantry, pouring some on Finn’s pancakes, though not too much. “Let’s just keep all this between you and me, alright? Mom doesn’t need to know how much sugar I’m feeding you so early in the morning.”

“Okay!” Finn nodded, using a small fork to tear off pieces from the pancakes and eat at them. Seems like they didn’t need a knife. Not that Catra was going to give them one just yet. “Um… Where is mom? You didn’t make any for her…”

Catra felt her heart drop a bit as she took a seat next to Finn. “Uh… Well…” Catra cleared her throat. “Mom’s gone on a trip… And she’s going to be away for a few days. So… It’s just you and me until then.”

“Oh…” Finn didn’t even try to hide their disappointment. They were excited to have breakfast as a complete family, but it seemed that was not the case just yet. Catra didn’t mean to upset them. It hurt her heart to do so.

“So… I’m not going into work for the week. You’ve got me all to yourself! So… Whaddya want to do?” Catra asked with a smile, trying to encourage them to look on the bright side of all this. But that bright side had long since vanished once Finn realized what was going on.

“I don’t know…” Finn spoke quietly. Catra tried to smile, but it was hard. She knew they were sad. “I miss mom.”

Catra sighed softly. “Yeah, me too, kiddo…”

A long silence followed as Finn ate their breakfast. Catra suddenly didn’t feel hungry at all. Her appetite had been taken away. But as she watched her child, she could tell they loved to eat. Most of the pancakes were already gone.

“You liked that?” Catra asked as Finn finished the breakfast.

“Uh-huh…” Finn nodded, looking towards her. “Thank you, Catra.”

Catra took their dish and placed it in the sink as she tried to ponder what to do next. It was beginning to look like a rainy day. That about cancelled half of the initial activities she had in mind. As she scrubbed the plate clean with hot water and soap, she looked over to the few cookbooks on the corner of kitchen bench she had gotten for Christmas in the last few years.

On the cover of one of those cookbooks was a food that suddenly gave her an idea.

“Say… Kiddo?” Catra asked, turning her head to face them.

“Huh?” Finn perked up.

“You feel like heading to the shops with me for a bit after we get you dressed up?”

Finn pondered for a few seconds.

“… Okay.”

* * *

Finn was the rightful captain of the shopping cart, and no one could say otherwise.

They sailed the high seas in search of bounty and gold, taking on perilous threats and unspeakable danger. But they always kept a headstrong approach, never backing down and never fearing anything.

Tales were spread of their brave deeds. Taking on the law and winning. Overcoming any odds, all with a smile on their face. The incredibly brave, incredibly bold and incredibly cool Finn, back again at the shopping market for another adventure.

But alas! They spot another piece of treasure in aisle six. They call for their crew, all hands on deck as they steer towards the golden treasure. There was no time to waste, as the monster of this here seas was rapidly approaching, ready to strike at any moment!

But the treasure was oh so worth the danger.

It was beautiful… Magnificent even. The finest treasure Finn had ever seen in their life. And it was theirs for the taking. But the journey was not yet over! The treasure must be snuck out without the deep sea monster noticing, which was a task easier said than done.

Time was of the essence. They quickly yanked the treasure from its place, and welcomed the treasure as one of their own crewmates. They went to go place the treasure within the ship known as the shopping cart.

Finally… After all these years, this adventure would soon come to its end. Finally, they would claim this delicate prize only spoke of in legend! All that was left was to place it underneath the deck, hidden in plain sight. They were so close!

“Finn, are you trying to put a block of chocolate underneath everything so I don’t notice?”

The dastardly sea creature known as Catra had picked up on their schemes! But Finn never backed down from a duel. They quickly hid the block of chocolate, better known as the treasure, behind their back. En garde, fiend!

“I… I don’t know…” They responded.

A powerful defense!

The sea creature’s lips curved into a smile. Within their ship, also known as a shopping cart, they had placed various ingredients and treasures, including pig’s feet. Pig’s feet! What monster hoards that all to themselves?

“You sure? I could’ve sworn I saw you about to sneak some sweets into my cart,” the monster known as Catra replied with an evil grin. But she didn’t scare Finn. No one did! For they have faced countless monsters like this one before!

“That… Must’ve been someone else,” Finn replied. A master of trickery, they used tactics and words to confuse the sea creature. Perhaps she would become so confused that she would go off to fight a pirate with lesser will. It would be for her own good!

“Hm… I guess it must’ve been,” the sea creature replied, and much to Finn’s delight, she moved on. Success! The treasure was within Finn’s rightful hands, and will be snuck out of the market without any further delay!

But of course, Finn was unsurprised. After all, they were a master of adventures, and a master of all pirates!

Ahoy!

* * *

Returning home from the adventure, Catra wasted no time getting her ingredients set up in the kitchen. It was three bags worth of items for the dinner she was planning to make, all of which would take twelve hours to piece together.

Finn, on the other hand, was more focused on turning the television on in the living room. They seemed to be more awake and alert about everything. Catra was so used to them always running back upstairs whenever she was in the room, so seeing Finn’s daily schedule was almost intriguing.

But for now, Catra found herself getting lost in the process of making a dinner for twelve hours from now. She heated up an induction stove, since having a gas stove run for that long would be flat-out dangerous, and placed a large stock pot on the stove.

She placed the pig’s trotters, otherwise known as pig’s feet, otherwise known as the thing that freaked Finn out, into the large stock pot and covered it with water, boiling it for ten minutes. The smell was funky, almost disgusting, but not absolutely terrible.

As the pig’s trotters boiled, Catra looked over to the living room, noticing Finn had already disappeared. “Hey, kiddo! Where’d you go?” Catra called out. And yet she received no response. “Finn? You okay?”

Anxiety started to bubble in her heart as she left behind the kitchen and walked into the living room. But almost instantly, the anxiety vanished as she spotted a gigantic teddy bear sitting in the corner of the room. And it seemed like a certain someone was sitting under the teddy bear.

“Hm… Hey Fuzzle Wuzzle, have you seen your sibling around here?” Catra asked the gigantic teddy bear, kneeling down before them. She could already hear Finn’s giggles as they hid under the teddy bear, but Catra played along. “No? That’s a shame. I was making a really nice dinner for them…”

“But dinner is so long away!” Finn’s voice suddenly called out. “I mean…” They suddenly spoke an octave deeper to impersonate Fuzzle Wuzzle, “dinner is so long away! Did you get your time mixed up?”

Catra chuckled. “I’m not that confused about everything, Fuzzle Wuzzle. But this dinner is very special, so I’m putting a lot of effort into it. I really hope Finn likes it,” Catra smiled at the speaking teddy bear, and underneath, she could see her own child smiling too.

“Well, that’s very nice of you. Oh, wait! I think I can see Finn now!” Fuzzle Wuzzle suddenly cried, and before Catra could look around for them, Finn suddenly jumped out from underneath the giant teddy, attempting to spook Catra.

Safe to say, it totally worked.

“Finn! You were hiding under your sibling the whole time? You fiend!” Catra put on a shocked expression, and she could tell they liked that very much. Their giggles were euphoric for Catra to listen to. She wasn’t used to interacting with Finn this much.

Finn, knowing they had been caught, suddenly ran away. Their feet pitter-pattered up the stairs, and they waited for Catra to chase after them. They were ready for a game of hide-and-seek, especially with someone they had never played against before.

But after a few minutes, they noticed Catra wasn’t chasing them.

They slowly made their way back downstairs to see Catra was still sitting in the same spot as before. And now, she was holding what seemed to be a DVD in her hands. One she had found nearby Fuzzle Wuzzle. Finn felt a bit sad that Catra didn’t want to play.

“What’s that…?” Finn asked, pointing to the disc in Catra’s hand as they descended down the stairs again.

Catra was genuinely startled this time, and turned around to face her child. “Oh! Hey… I didn’t see you there. I thought you went upstairs.”

“I was waiting for you…” Finn spoke softly. Catra felt a slight drop in her heart as she heard those words.

“Oh… I’m sorry, Finn. I got distracted by this…” She held up the DVD. “It’s a recording of your mom’s graduation from university. About seven years ago now. I thought I’d lost this… But hey, turns out Fuzzle Wuzzle was hiding it this whole time.”

“Oh…” Finn said.

“You wanna watch it together?” Catra asked. She realized watching a graduation video probably wasn’t the most exciting use of a five-year-old’s time, but she felt bad about letting Finn down earlier. Finn looked at the disc for a few more seconds.

“… Uh-huh.”

Catra was glad that Finn was going along with everything, even if she could tell they were more excited to play hide-and-seek. She would play with them, but taking care of the dinner would be a bit hard to do at the same time. She went to go insert the disc into the DVD Player connected to the television, and as it slowly booted up, Finn took a seat on the couch.

Before Catra could attend to that, she quickly made her way to the kitchen and skimmed off some of the scum rising to the top of the boiling water. This was just impurities from the pig’s trotters. She drained out the water, saving the pig’s trotters and taking a few seconds to scrub them clean on the outside.

She could hear the graduation video begin to play in the other room. Various other students were being called up. Adora was number seven. Catra remembered it exactly.

She put the clean pork trotters back into the pot, covered it with water, and prepared a few ingredients for its twelve hour boiling period. This included one bunch of scallions, chopped into segments, as well as two shallots, quartered, one large yellow onion, quartered, and some sliced knobs of ginger.

All of this would add flavor to what would become a broth in tonkotsu ramen. As the water that covered the trotter’s and various other ingredients slowly came up to a boil, Catra went into the living room and saw Finn still on the couch, watching the graduation video.

She walked in just as Adora’s name was called out. She saw her wife, seven years younger, ascending the stairs, wearing her robe and cap. Catra could see Finn’s eyes widen as they saw their mom at such a young age. It was bizarre for them.

But not as bizarre as when, in the video, Catra cried out, “THAT’S MY GIRL!”

“Is that you?” Finn asked upon hearing the loud shout. Catra couldn’t help but chuckle as the camera panned to her. “You have short hair! Why?!”

“Because I thought it looked cool!” Catra replied, defending herself as she laughed. “I was gonna be so late for that whole thing. But luckily, I had a skateboard that got me all the way there.”

“You… You can skate?” Finn asked, looking to Catra with peaked curiosity.

“Well… I used to. It’s not like I can do tricks or anything. It was just an easy way to get to your mom’s university and back home,” Catra shrugged. “I can teach you at some point, if you want. Don’t ask me to show examples though. I’ll break a hip.”

“Cause you’re old?” Finn asked with no intended offense, but the innocent tone of the question nearly had Catra both burst with laughter and crumble in defeat at how right they were.

“I’m not that old. Just… delicate. Like a flower,” Catra explained.

“You don’t remind me of any flowers I’ve seen before,” Finn observed, taking this whole conversation seriously.

“I’m an exotic flower,” Catra returned.

“Ex… Exo…?” Finn had no idea how to interpret Catra’s confusing words.

“I’m… unique. Not like any other flower. I’m special!” Catra beamed.

Saying those words sent an immense amount of tingles down Catra’s spine. It was probably the nicest thing she had said about herself in years. And even that was enough to put a smile on Finn’s face. “You’re ex… exohtic,” they responded, pronouncing the ‘o’ like one would when saying ‘boo’.

Catra couldn’t help but smile.

“… Yeah. I’m… I’m an exotic flower for sure,” she whispered to herself. No one else could hear it. But she could.

* * *

“Finn? Hey, buddy? Rise and shine.”

Finn heard Catra’s voice invade their dreams, slowly bringing them back to consciousness. They didn’t even realize when they had fallen asleep, but the nap made everything feel blurry, and the inside of their mouth felt gummy.

“You okay? You conked out in the middle of one of your shows,” Catra said, turning off the television which was streaming an animated show about queer princesses.

“I feel tired…” Finn yawned, rubbing their eyes clear of sleep with the back of their hand. “What time is it…?” They asked with a loud yawn. Catra couldn’t help but find it adorable how sluggish they were when tired. It was exactly like Adora.

“It’s around eight o’clock at night. I just finished up dinner… But would you rather get to bed, bud?” Catra asked the tired child. They pondered between the two options for a while: Food or bed. Food or bed. Food or bed.

“… Both…?” Finn suggested, and Catra chuckled.

“I wish I could, but no can do. I don’t want to spill the hot broth on you,” Catra smiled.

“… Food, then.”

Finn slowly stood up, stumbling forward slightly as feeling began to return to their numb legs. Catra held them up, guiding them towards the kitchen, and the source of some of the most wonderful smells Finn had ever had the pleasure of smelling.

Catra put a large bowl before them as they sat down at the table, before grabbing a carton of a dark liquid known as a tare, or the source of salt and umami in the dish. Only a bit went in, before a rich, creamy, pork broth was poured in next. It was a result of boiling the trotters for so long. It smelled like heaven.

Next were some ramen noodles, and then some slices of chashu, or braised pork belly. Some soft boiled eggs, sliced in half, and to finish off, a few thinly sliced scallions. What was plated before Finn was tonkotsu ramen.

The dish had taken twelve hours to make, and was something Catra had gotten lost in the entire time. She had always wanted to make one of these dishes but never found the time or occasion. It was complex, but it had a lot of love placed into it.

Finn stared wide eyed at the dish, and since they couldn’t use chopsticks, Catra handed them a small fork. “I hope you like it, kiddo,” she smiled, before going over to the sink to wash the rest of the large amount of dishes she had accumulated over the twelve hour period.

She could hear Finn slurp their first bite. And then their second. And third. She looked around to see Finn; who was a sluggish, tired child a few moments ago; excitably going at the dish and slurping noodles and broth. “Hey, slow down a bit there, bud. I don’t want you to choke,” Catra teased.

“This is so yum!” Finn smiled, barely taking Catra’s advice.

It was hard work. The dish was something that needed constant attention and care. But it was special. It was an expression of love.

And the results spoke for themselves.

As Catra continued washing the dishes, she spoke up. “Say, Finn… Since we’ve got a whole week to ourselves, and mom is on a trip, I say we do something special of our own.”

“Mmph…” Finn swallowed down some noodles. “Like what?”

“Well… There’s a place that’s very special to your mom and I. I haven’t been there in years. But I’d like to take you there. It’s a train ride away, and we can leave tomorrow afternoon. I think you’ll like it. There’s an ice rink and snow…” Catra could see Finn’s smile grow wider at the mention of Winter activities.

“Yes please! What’s it called?!” They asked. Catra grinned at them.

“Mystacor.”


	10. Mystacor, Once More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra and Finn begin their trip to Mystacor. The bonding between parent and child is hindered by a few complications, and on the second day, Catra wakes up to a horrifying discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Misgendering in the first section of the chapter

It was Finn’s first time coming to a train station as big as this.

As Catra let them out of the car, their eyes gazed up to the large station with people flooding in and out of the entrance. Conversations, announcements and bells rung all throughout the station, so loud that it echoed into the outside.

It was chilly, so they had to wear their winter jacket, pants and a beanie, but they didn’t mind. The cold felt nice on their skin. As Catra grabbed her stuff from the car, she noticed Finn’s amazed stares and couldn’t help but smile.

It had been a while since she’d been to the train station herself. It had gone through radical changes and renovations ever since her first trip to Mystacor.

“Hey kiddo, just stick close to me, alright?” Catra said to her child. “There’s a lot of people here and I don’t want to lose you in the crowd.”

“Okay…” Finn nodded. They reached out their hand, grabbing onto Catra’s. They usually held Adora’s hand in public spaces like this, but Catra’s hand had an odd sense of comfort in it. They felt safe.

Catra held Finn’s hand as they both entered the train station, descending down the stairs. The place was filled with people in suits, some families, a few groups of teenagers skipping school, and a few people who looked tired.

The noise was louder than expected, but Finn’s curious eyes gazed to all the sources of sound. The trains flying by with announcements being made all over. The discussions of work, stock and trade. Teenagers laughing over an inside joke, or humor that Finn didn’t quite understand just yet.

And among all that were a few stores. Some clothing stores, some food stands and one toy store that caught Finn’s eyes. Catra felt Finn slow down a bit, and looked up to see them looking at the toy store with wide eyes.

“You want something from there?” Catra asked, pointing to the toy store. Finn looked up at Catra, and nodded.

“Yes, please…”

Catra smiled, and led Finn to the store. She let go of their hand once they were in, letting them choose out a toy from themselves. The options were a large variety, ranging from big plushies to small figurines. They had packed a few things for the trip to Mystacor, but forgot to bring most of their toys. This should hopefully make up for it.

Their eyes noticed that some parts of the store were colored blue, whilst other parts were colored pink. The blue part contained toys like robots, toy guns, and plastic versions of DIY tools. The pink parts contained toys like dolls in dresses, miniature ponies and playhouses.

Finn was confused at the coloring of things, since all of these toys seemed like fun anyway. They decided to ignore all of it and go for whatever toy appealed to them most, which they soon found after a few minutes of searching.

A small plane. It wasn’t much, especially compared to some of the other things they could choose. But sometimes, the simplest things caused the most fun in their experience. They never really liked toys that needed batteries or charging.

Catra saw them approach her with the small plane. “This the one you want?” Catra asked them, and they gave an enthusiastic nod. It was relatively cheap, and if it made them happy, Catra didn’t really judge. She went to the counter to pay for it, and Finn stuck by her, holding onto her jacket the entire time.

Once it was all paid for, Catra gave it back to them. She could see the excitement in their eyes as they held onto the miniature plane. “It’s so cool…” Finn gawked, looking at the plane all over.

“If you want to play with it, just make sure you stick close to me so I can see you, alright?” Catra said, and Finn nodded. “And don’t go near the train tracks. Just to be safe. I trust you, kiddo. I just don’t want an accident happening. Your mom would not like it.”

“Thank you, Catra,” Finn smiled, and almost immediately, they took off. Catra watched them fly the plane with their hands out of the store and towards the benches on the middle of the platform. As promised, they didn’t go far.

As Catra went to go purchase tickets for Mystacor, Finn explored every part of the train station with their new toy. They climbed on top of benches, landed the plane on railings and vending machines, and even dodged and ducked between a few people.

The exploration of a new place satisfied their curiosity about all things in life. They could spot Catra talking to the person behind the counter and acquiring two tickets for the train five minutes from now. Today, Catra had to decided to tidy up a bit by fully washing and combing her hair, and getting a bit more sleep than usual.

Her hair was still a bit bushy, and there was still some bags under her eyes. But they weren’t as bad as usual. And Finn liked that.

Catra turned to see Finn still playing with the plane. She smiled as she looked at her child. A whole week in Mystacor with them might do a world of good.

She remembered her last outing to Mystacor. The kiss she shared with Adora that ended in disaster. Looking back on it, all she could do was laugh. It was an awkward situation that only led to both of them hiding their feelings for a bit longer, but in all honesty, she was just glad she could have her first kiss with Adora in such a beautiful spot.

“Is that your child?” Catra suddenly heard, and she turned to see an older woman smiling up at her. She must’ve been looking at Finn for a while if it caused someone else to notice.

“Yeah,” Catra said with a proud tone. Finn was her child. Her kid. The fact she even had a kid was something that was still so amazing to her. And the fact that Finn was so wonderful was even better.

“He looks so sweet,” the older woman complimented. “Where is…”

“They,” Catra interrupted.

“Hm?”

“Their pronouns are they/them. Not he,” Catra corrected. She chalked it off as a mistake, but someone misgendering her own child like that pushed some buttons in her system. Her heartrate kicked up almost instantly.

“Oh… My, the world is changing so much these days…” The older woman spoke to herself. Catra’s eyebrows narrowed at the small talk, but she pretended not to hear it. “Where is… their… father?” She asked.

Now it was starting to get a bit more than an uncomfortable feeling. “First of all, they have two moms. Me and my wife, who’s on a business trip at the moment. But secondly, what does it matter to you?”

“Well, there’s no need to get so hostile. I was just complimenting your child,” the older woman replied.

“Okay, great, thanks. Could’ve been done without all the assumptions,” Catra sighed. “Is there a point to this conversation or…?”

“Well, I just think every child needs a masculine figure in his or her life. Now I just feel like you’re pushing some… political agenda onto your own child,” the older woman accused Catra. It was the tipping point. Catra turned to face her, and just when she went to go open her mouth…

“Um… Catra?”

Finn’s voice suddenly interjected.

Catra stopped herself, looking down at her child. “I… I lost my toy,” Finn spoke meekly. “Can you help me find it?”

Catra looked to Finn for a few moments. She snuck one more glance at the older woman, before simply moving on from her and kneeling before Finn. “Sure, kiddo. Where’d you last have it?” Catra asked, ignoring the older woman as she scoffed and walked away.

“S… Somewhere over there…” Finn pointed to a random direction, but as they saw the older woman walk away, they let out a sigh of relief. “Oh… Actually… I had it in my pocket the whole time. I guess I didn’t lose it…” Finn said, pulling the miniature plane out of their back pocket.

“Well... Isn’t that convenient,” Catra said with a sad smile. She knew what they were trying to do. “You… You didn’t really lose it, did you?”

Finn realized they had been caught, and they looked at the floor. “I’m sorry for lying… I just didn’t want you to get mad again.”

Catra couldn’t help but smile at Finn’s whole plan. “You’re a little damn sneak, aren’t you?” She said, rubbing Finn’s hair. “Uh… Don’t tell your mom I said that word.”

Finn giggled as they felt Catra’s hand rubbing their hair. “Damn sure!” They replied. Catra could only snicker in response.

“… I’m sorry for nearly getting mad again, kiddo. I just… They were disrespecting you. Who you are. I’m not going to let anyone just do that whenever they want,” Catra explained.

“I know. I heard what they said,” Finn said. But nevertheless, their spirit remained strong. “I don’t think someone like that is worth talking to anyway.”

“Yeah… You’re right,” Catra sighed. She appreciated how mature Finn was about the whole situation. “But just remember… That doesn’t mean you should let someone walk over you, too. If you ignore them and they walk away, that’s good. But if they keep saying mean things or bullying you… Stand up for yourself. Fighting for yourself and your place in the world is a good cause. And you always have me and mom to back you up, alright?”

“Mom said something like that too,” Finn smiled. “You two say a lot of the same things.”

“It helps when we’re together for eleven years,” Catra replied.

Their conversation was soon interrupted as the announcement for the train to Mystacor was made. Catra stood up, holding out a hand as the train arrived and the doors opened. Finn looked up at her, plane in one hand.

And soon, with their other hand, they grabbed their mother’s hand.

* * *

Droplets formed from the rain. They scattered across the train window as it sped pass the landscapes.

Finn watched the race of these droplets. They slid down the window, collecting friends and destroying others. All in an attempt to get to the bottom.

But in Finn’s eyes, it didn’t matter who won. They just liked watching the events. The friends they collected. The smaller details. That’s what made them happy.

Plus, it was all done with snowy mountains in the background.

Catra smiled down at them as they watched the windows with wide eyes. The speeding train had been going for the last hour but their fascination never stopped. They wanted to explore every bit of the train, including the driver’s carriage and places they weren’t supposed to go to.

Catra wondered where they got this curiosity to explore the world from. Which parent would be more likely to ditch everything and go on a journey?

Her question remained unanswered as Catra suddenly felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She pulled it out to check the text.

**Adorablyscary33:** How are things going over there, wifey?

Catra smiled. It was the first text she had received from Adora since she left for that trip after those stern words. Catra typed out a response.

**NoPurr44:** Better than expected. Guess where we’re headed?

Along with that message, Catra sent a picture of the snowy landscape outside the window of the train. Finn noticed her taking a picture. “What are you doing?” They asked, tilting their head slightly.

“Talking to your mom,” Catra replied, watching as Adora typed out a response.

“Tell her I miss her!” Finn beamed, and Catra nodded.

**Adorablyscary33:** Are you two heading to Mystacor?

**NoPurr44:** Yeesh, how could you tell?

**Adorablyscary33:** I remember that exact landscape. If I recall right, I had a certain tired girl sleeping on my side almost the entire train ride there…

**NoPurr44:** Hmm, nah, your memory is lying to you. That never happened. Oh, and Finn says they miss you.

**Adorablyscary33:** Aw, I miss them too! You two have been getting along, right?

Catra took a second to look at Finn. Their wide eyes. The small smile as they put their hands on the window and looked to the outside world.

**NoPurr44:** We have. Hey, Adora… I’m really sorry about how I acted the other day. And just as of late… I’ve been really stuck-up and I wasn’t listening to both you and DT. I really hope I haven’t driven a wedge anywhere. I never meant to. I’m trying to do better. For all of us. And… For me, too.

**Adorablyscary33:** It’s okay, Catra. You’ve been going through a lot lately. You’re so incredibly strong for taking this trip. I can’t talk for long, but just know that I still love you. I always will. I’m proud of you.

**NoPurr44:** I love you too, Adora. I love you so much.

Catra closed her texts with Adora, but her time wasn’t done just yet. She opened another text box.

**NoPurr44:** Hey… You got time to talk?

She waited a few minutes. But as usual, a response came quick.

**DTpride55:** Always for you, doll.

Catra was just glad they responded. Their last meeting was filled with intensity and anger, and Catra didn’t want to lose one of her dearest friends.

**NoPurr44:** I just want to say I’m sorry for how I acted the other day. I ignored you when you were just trying to help. That was really, really shitty of me. I’m currently on my way to a trip to Mystacor with Finn. Gonna spend some time with them while Adora is on a business trip. I’m trying to do better. I hope you can forgive me.

The response was quick.

**DTpride55:** Catra… You don’t have to apologize to me. What you’ve been going through lately… It’s normal that you’d be in high emotions right now. But I am so, so proud of you for being strong enough to look up and take that first step. I really hope you and Finn have an amazing time in Mystacor. And I hope you’re doing better these days.

**NoPurr44:** I’m hanging in there. Finn’s been great. We’ll send you pics, alright? I’m just glad you don’t hold any resentment towards me.

**DTpride55:** I could never. I love you, Catra. If you ever want to talk, I’ve always got time to catch up.

**NoPurr44:** I love you too. Thank you for everything.

Catra put her phone in her lap, letting out a gentle sigh of relief. The anxiety about Double Trouble and Adora had been festering in her heart ever since their stern words, but they both simply wanted to help her. She knew that deep within her heart. She just needed to make sure.

She looked to the window. She saw the droplets.

And she saw the sky.

* * *

“Listen. As long as you hold my hand, I won’t let go of you. I promise.”

It had been a long, long while since Catra had come to this frozen lake. She remembered when she came here with Adora, Bow and Glimmer. When she impressed Adora with her ice skating, and the small dance they had.

Now she was back with her child. But they were having second thoughts about this whole ice skating thing.

“I… I don’t know, Catra…” Finn shook their head. “What if I fall and it really hurts?”

“That’s why I’m going to hold your hand. So you won’t fall,” Catra said, her skates already on and ready to go. But first, she knelt down before Finn, putting a hand on their shoulder and a smile on her own face. “Hey bud, if you don’t want to do this, just say no. I completely understand if this scares you, and I won’t force you into it if you don’t like it.”

Finn opened their mouth to immediately say no, but their eye caught onto something on the frozen lake. A parent and child, moving together, hand-in-hand. Even if the child needed some help sometimes, the parent was always happy to provide it.

They looked back to Catra. “Let’s… Just do a little bit…” They decided. Catra nodded.

She stood up, and Finn held onto her hand. They could see their breath form before themselves. It almost distracted them as their skates made contact with the ice, and they immediately began to lose balance and topple backwards.

But as promised, Catra held on.

“You’re okay, kiddo! I’m here!” Catra said, keeping Finn upright. To Catra, it was almost natural. The skating was the same as all those years ago, and it just came to her. But clearly, for a five-year-old child, things were a bit different. “I got ya.”

Finn waved their free arm in a circular motion, staying up and balanced. “What… What do I do to move…?” They asked, looking nervously up at Catra.

“You just have to put one foot in front of the other, and thrust forward. Watch me and try to copy my movements,” Catra explained. As she began to skate forward at a slow pace, Finn watched her feet with wide eyes.

And slowly, they began to copy her movements.

One foot in front of the other. Over and over. Simple movements that made up the basis of ice skating. “There you go… You’re getting the hang of it quickly,” Catra complimented, watching as Finn’s nervous expression slowly morphed into one of pure joy.

“I’m… I’m doing it!” Finn cheered. “I’m doing it, Catra!”

Catra couldn’t help but chuckle as they skated, hand in hand, around the edge of the lake. Finn’s movements slowly got more natural, one foot in front of the other. It was slow and a tad bit stiff, but for a child, it was very well done.

“You’re like a pro!” Catra said. “Reckon you might be able to stand up on your own, kiddo? Don’t feel like you have to.”

“I can do it!” Finn immediately responded. Catra felt a tad uneasy about letting them go, but it was their request and they seemed well enough. She slowly let their hand free, watching them move forward on their own. The wind blowing pass their almost golden hair.

And as they took another step forward, their skate grinded against the ice with an unpleasant sound, and they toppled forward.

Catra watched as Finn fell with quite a bit of force. “Finn!” She cried out, immediately falling to her knees and stopping. Every other set of eyes shot towards Finn’s direction as Catra held them up. “Finn, you okay? Did you hit your head?”

As she turned them around, she saw a blank expression on Finn’s face. Their eyes were closed. It looked like the fall had knocked them out. Catra felt her heart spike, and she shook her head. “Shit…” She whispered to herself, leaning down and hovering her ear near Finn’s mouth to check for breathing.

And to her relief, she heard Finn’s slow breaths. And not just that.

They were laughing too.

Catra raised an eyebrow, and looked up to see a smile crawl onto Finn’s face. They opened their eyes and giggled. “I pranked you!” They said, pointing at Catra as if she was a fool. To them, it probably seemed like a harmless joke. They were completely unharmed, save for a little bit of soreness.

But Catra was anything but amused.

She opened her mouth to lecture Finn about how doing something like that was cruel, and to not scare her like that. But Finn’s laughs still rang out. They seemed happy.

Finn had never pranked Catra before. They only usually did that to Adora.

In an odd way, Catra felt almost proud to be made of a fool of by her own child. She took a deep breath, standing Finn back up. “You’re a little jokester,” Catra scoffed, waiting for Finn’s laughter to die down slightly.

“Did I scare you?” Finn asked, still amused by the whole affair.

“You did,” Catra nodded. “Uh… Hey, kiddo? I appreciate that you’re able to have some fun, but… Well, that really, really freaked me out. I don’t mind an occasional prank. I pull them on mom all the time. Just… Maybe something a bit… lighter next time?”

Finn’s laughter slowly grew silent upon hearing that. “Oh… I’m sorry,” they responded, feeling guilt set in upon hearing that. Catra cursed herself.

“Hey, you don’t need to say sorry! It’s okay! I reckon mom probably would’ve gotten a laugh out of that,” Catra smiled, rubbing their hair in a comforting matter. “I’m just a scaredy-cat, alright? I worry too much sometimes.”

Finn smiled, leaning into the headpats. “Okay…”

“You wanna ice skate a bit more?” Catra asked. But Finn needed no time to ponder that question.

“Damn yes!”

* * *

Finn even found fascination in hotel rooms.

As Catra opened the door to their small room, their eyes looked around in amazement. Catra would’ve preferred letting them stay at Castaspella’s holiday home, but Catra hadn’t been able to get the keys for that home before they left.

Still, it was warm and it had a roof. That’s all that really mattered as rain began to pick up outside. Catra closed the door behind herself and flicked on the lights in the hotel room as Finn ran to one of the small bedrooms.

“This is my throne!” They cried from the room, and Catra chuckled. She peeked in to see Finn flopping onto the small bed, and that just left the larger bed to Catra. They weren’t far apart, but the walls separated the two of them.

“Alright, your royalty. You can come claim your throne after you clean your teeth and get changed into your pyjamas,” Catra instructed. The ruler of this here land obeyed, hopping off the bed and heading for their backpack to grab their night gear.

Catra grabbed her phone from her bag and put it on charge next to her bed. She took off her winter clothes, getting changed into something a bit more comfortable. She could hear Finn furiously brush their teeth in the bathroom, and once they were done, they also got changed into more comfortable wear.

Once they emerged from the bathroom, Catra watched as they headed to their throne. “You okay to tuck yourself into bed?” Catra asked as Finn climbed under the sheets.

“Uh-huh,” they nodded. “Um… Can you leave the door open a bit?”

“Sure thing,” Catra smiled. “Good night, kiddo.”

“Good night, Catra.”

With that, Catra left the bedroom doom open slightly and headed to her own bed. She didn’t feel particularly tired, so she instead grabbed her charging phone to check on the news today, and to see what was going on in everyone else’s lives.

She noticed a text from Shadow Weaver’s caretaker had popped up. She hadn’t received one from them in a while. She opened the box.

**Unknown:** Hi there, Catra. I’m unsure of if you got my previous text informing you of Shadow Weaver’s funeral. Nevertheless, it has already passed today. I hope you’re doing okay during this difficult time.

Catra looked at the text. She completely forgot Shadow Weaver’s funeral was planned already for today. She had torn herself away from any planning of that event. With everything going on with Finn, she had simply become too busy

She didn’t need to ask to know what happened at the funeral. She already knew barely anyone would’ve shown up. No one to give speeches. No one to talk about fond memories. Just a body, buried six feet under.

Her mother. The one who raised her. The one who took her in. Dead and buried.

But Catra felt nothing.

It wasn’t like she took amusement in it. But it also didn’t depress her. She was simply apathetic. Why should she care?

She sighed, and moved on from the text.

Just as she did, she suddenly a small series of footsteps from Finn’s room. She looked up to see Finn, slowly opening the door and peeking out. “Everything okay, bud?” Catra asked them, noting their nervous eyes.

“It’s… It’s scary in there…” Finn spoke meekly. It made sense. It was a brand new room, in the dark, with the rain beating against the window outside.

“You wanna sleep in here?” Catra offered, and Finn nodded. She put away her phone and made room for her child, lifting up the sheets and allowing them to crawl under. Finn was small, but they managed to get their head on a pillow and most of their body under the sheets.

“Thanks…” Finn spoke. “Um… What were you looking at on your phone? I heard you sighing…”

Catra laid down and looked them in the eyes. They both laid on their sides, close together under the same sheets. Mother and child. “It… It was a text. Shadow Weaver… My mother’s funeral happened today. And I missed it.”

“Oh…” Finn replied. “… Is that bad?”

“I don’t know… It’s not bad, but… It’s not amazing either,” Catra shrugged. Finn looked at their mother for a few more seconds.

“She… She hurt you, didn’t she?” They asked, almost needing to remind themselves.

“Yeah. She hurt me a lot,” Catra nodded. “And…”

Catra’s voice trailed off. Her eyes gazed into the distance. “And…?” Finn asked, trying to bring their mother back to the real world.

But Catra was not there. Her thoughts were in limbo. And slowly, she let out a sigh. Honesty was needed. The truth was needed. That’s what was most important. Catra never wanted to lie to them.

“And I’m… I’m afraid of hurting you, Finn. Like she did with me,” Catra admitted. Finn’s expression didn’t change. Their eyes were still filled with concern. Worry. Confusion. They weren’t quite sure how to respond for some time. But eventually, they spoke quietly.

“Well…” Finn looked at the bed. “You’ve only hurt me sometimes.”

Catra’s heart went cold.

“… When was that?” She asked, her eyes widening. It was her worst nightmare. Her terrors greeting her. But she had to hide her horror.

“It’s… It’s hard to say. I don’t know the words for it…” Finn said. Catra wanted to know more. She wanted to know how she hurt Finn. What she did wrong. But she could tell it was an extremely sensitive topic for them. They already wanted to avoid it.

“… That’s okay. I’m… I’m so sorry,” Catra said softly. Finn wasn’t sure how to say anything more. Catra watched as they turned around, facing away from her. “… Good night, Finn.”

They gave no response as they closed their eyes. They held no hatred for Catra. Their heart was simply heavy. Their stomach tight.

And for Catra, the guilt had already set in.

* * *

When Catra awoke, the bed felt cold.

Her eyes slowly opened, blinking against the light that pierced in from the outside. Despite everything that occurred last night, she found herself sleeping more heavily than usual. Perhaps having Finn in the same bed helped.

And yet, even with the heater running, the room felt cold for some reason.

She looked up to see if Finn was still asleep, but found an empty space on the bed instead.

Immediately, Catra shot up. “Finn?” She called out. Perhaps they had returned to their own room. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, planting them against the soft floor and standing up. She walked over to the bedroom, but she soon saw that the bed in there was empty as well.

“Finn? You in here?” Catra called out even louder, going to the bathroom. And yet, that was empty too. “Finn? Finn?!” Catra’s cries got louder. “If this is a prank, you can come out now! Finn!”

And yet, she received no response.

Amidst the panic, Catra noticed a loud howling coming from the front door. She turned to notice that it was slightly jarred open, and the wind coming in was what caused the freezing temperature in the room. The weather was practically on the verge of a snowstorm. “Fuck… Fuck, fuck, fuck…” She whispered to herself.

Finn was out there. In that cold. Catra must’ve left the door unlocked, and Finn must’ve snuck out.

She put her hands up against the back of her head, taking in deep, frantic breaths. “Oh shit… Oh shit…” Catra panted, and she quickly began to move herself. There was no time to waste.

She put her Winter clothes on, including a jacket, pants, beanie and gloves. It was all thrown together quickly. Finn was out there in that snowstorm. They had ran away. And Catra needed to find them somehow.

Why did they run? Catra had no idea. She had no time to think.

She opened the door, and immediately felt a blast of cold smash against her face. She winced against it, but did not back down. “I’m coming, Finn… Please be okay…” She panted, closing the door behind herself and walking forward.

They had to be okay. Catra kept repeating it to herself. They had to be okay.

The freezing cold wind practically prevented her from thinking anything else.


	11. Droplets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cold. Cold. Cold.

“Finn! Finn, where are you?! Finn!”

The cold was unending.

Catra felt the icy wind crash against her face, causing her to squint and wince away. Snow gathered in her hair and clothes, and the howling wind drowned out her words. But she continued to push through it all, crossing her arms and holding them close.

Catra couldn’t get it out of her head. Why did Finn run away? They had never done this before. They didn’t seem to have any intention of doing so beforehand. Catra wondered where she went wrong. What would Adora think of this?

Then again, it reminded Catra of how much she used to run away from Shadow Weaver all the time.

Another blast of wind. Shadow Weaver was still stuck in Catra’s mind. Catra had to run away often to save her own mental health and her own sanity. Maybe Finn had to do the same. Maybe Finn just wanted some time alone to be happy.

Catra felt a cold chill in her heart. Her own child running away. It had to make her as bad as Shadow Weaver. There was no doubt about it. She felt like a terrible parent. A terrible person.

“Finn!” She called out, the words smothered by the snow. She could barely see a few feet ahead of herself. Some silhouettes of buildings could be made out, but other than that, Catra had no idea where she was. She didn’t even know if she was heading in the right direction. She had nothing to go off of, instead of going towards the ice lake from yesterday.

Catra’s lips shuddered from the cold. Another blast of wind forced her down onto her knees, and she placed her hand in the snow, making the cotton gloves she was wearing damp. This only served to freeze her hand even more.

She quickly took off her wet gloves, discarding them in favor of tucking her hands underneath her armpits. The tips of her fingers were becoming more and more pale. The cold was getting to her. She had no idea how long she’d been out here for.

If she was struggling in this cold, how would Finn feel? They were only five. The thought of it all scared Catra even more. How was Finn handling this? What if they were freezing? What if they were already…

No. No, no, no. Catra refused to give in to that idea. She pushed forward, even when her legs felt like they were going to snap off. Each step was taken in deep snow that covered her feet and ankles entirely, making it exhausting to even walk.

But as she took one more step, she suddenly felt something hard beneath her feet. She fell forward, tripping on an object in the ground and landing face first in the snow beneath herself. She leaned back up, spitting snow out of her mouth and wiping it from her face.

And when Catra looked back at the object she tripped on, she saw it was a toy plane, half-buried in the snow.

Her eyes widened. At first, she thought it was just a coincidence. There was no way. She didn’t want to believe it at all.

But there was no denying the fact. This was Finn’s toy plane. The same one she purchased yesterday. The same one they flew throughout the train station. The same one they held onto throughout the train ride here.

Catra slowly reached out, grabbing hold of the plane. She pulled it out of the snow. She could barely stand. She had crumbled to her knees, holding the toy in her hand and looking down at it with shock and misery.

She was lost. Completely and utterly lost. All that surrounded her was fog and snow. Endless amounts of snow. Finn used to hold this toy so tightly. They never wanted to let go of it. It was precious to them. So the only reason they would drop it…

Catra fought back against the idea. She had to. No parent should have ever wanted that idea in their head. She held the toy plane close to her chest, and her wobbling lips soon turned into quiet sobs. “Finn…” Catra whimpered, her voice breaking.

The tears she shed froze, and stuck to her cheeks and chin.

Everything felt cold.

She looked at her now purple fingertips. They felt numb. Her quivering lips felt natural now. The endless snow began to cover her as she hugged the toy close and closed her eyes. She didn’t even know if she could make it back home or anywhere at this rate. She had no sense of direction. No purpose.

In that moment, she could’ve accepted it. That this was a consequence of her failure as a parent. That the things Shadow Weaver did to her would always be passed down. That Alex was right and her having a child was illogical and immoral.

She could’ve accepted it. The end. And on any other day, she would’ve. Her self-loathing would’ve consumed her heart and literally left her for dead. And she would’ve been completely okay with that. Dying right here. She would’ve accepted it.

But today was different.

She still had no sight of Finn. And this toy meant they might be close. Catra opened her eyes before they froze over, and wiped the stains of tears off her cheeks. She refused to give in to misery. She refused to give up and die, even if that was the easiest option.

She wasn’t stopping until she found Finn, one way or another.

She was a mother. And she had to protect her child.

She gripped the toy plane tight and continued to push forward. She kept moving forward. One step after the other. Even when the wind and snow and her own mind beat her down, she looked them in the eye and kept moving forward.

She had made a promise. To Adora. To Double Trouble. To herself. A promise that she would become better. She would try harder. She would stand. She would walk. She would run. Because until she found Finn, she refused to give in.

Catra looked death in the eye, and she said no. Not today.

And as she moved forward, the snowstorm slowly began to die down. Second by second, the howling wind finally grew softer and softer. The snow no longer hurt Catra’s eyes. And she slowly felt like she could walk and not have to fight nature itself.

And eventually, the sun began to pierce through the dark clouds.

* * *

The steep hill almost killed Catra’s legs, but she continued to climb.

The clouds had slowly parted and revealed a deep, blue sky. The sun shining directly onto the land as the storm finally began to pass. The snow melting under the sudden heat made it easier to walk through, and eventually, Catra saw her hands began to gain color once again.

She had no idea how far away from home she was, or how close Finn would be. But she kept walking. She had to get over this steep hill. At best, she could try and inform the head of the town about a missing child. But Catra hoped it didn’t have to come to that.

The grass slowly began to reveal itself from underneath the snow. Only in bits and pieces. Gentle snow still streamed down, but at a more comfortable rate, and it was no match for the heat of the sun. Most of the flakes melted once they hit the ground.

Catra looked up to see the top of the hill within reach. She took a few more painful, agonizing steps. Her thighs felt like they were on fire, and the cramps that came with it almost caused her to fall and roll back down the hill.

But she continued to push forward.

And as she ascended the top of the hill, she was greeted with a sight like no other.

A field sprawled out before her, mostly covered in white blots of snow. In the distance, mountains curved up and down with the tips covered in that same snow. A blue lake streamed through the middle of the field, the water freshly melted from its icy state. And occasionally, small patches of grass could be found underneath the snow, with flowers springing forth.

To the right, a log cabin comfortably rested before the view. Smoke breathing out from the chimney. A front porch that one could stand in and listen to the sounds of the river. The river spoke to the snow, and the sky. They all danced together under the new sunlight.

And among the snowy fields were two figures. One tall and one small. Both of them working on building a couple of snowmen.

Catra slowly wandered back down the hill and towards the figures, getting a closer look at the two people. She squinted her eyes at the smaller figure. Their golden hair. Their small frame. It didn’t take long for Catra to figure out who it was.

“Finn!”

She called out, and Finn looked over. Along with them, the taller figure also looked up. The two figures then glanced at each other. Finn seemed timid. Confused. Unsure of how to respond. But the taller figure smiled down at them, and spoke a few words, before standing and heading towards Catra’s direction.

Catra wondered who this person was. She wondered if they were a danger to Finn. They climbed up the hill, getting closer to Catra, but the gentle smile on their face never left. “You are their mother, I assume?” The person asked.

“… Yeah. Catra,” she nodded in response, glancing at Finn. They seemed fixated on building their sculptures.

“Oh… I know you. You were friends with my daughter,” the figure spoke slowly, but in a soothing tone. “My name is Angella. I am Glimmer’s mother.”

Catra’s eyes widened slightly at the convenience of it all. She took a second to look Angella up and down. She wore comfortable clothes for winter, including a puffy jacket, long pants and warm gloves. Her face was scattered with wrinkles, including noticeable crow’s feet and smile lines. “I haven’t seen Glimmer in a while,” Catra responded. “Is she doing okay these days?”

“As far as I’m aware. She and Bow often explore the world together. Off to different places. She’s home for Christmas occasionally, but… I suppose she’s living her life to the fullest now. She’s a strong woman,” Angella smiled, looking up at the sky with an expression of pride, her eyes closed and her lips curved upwards.

“I… How did you find Finn? There was a snowstorm and…” Catra looked at them again. They seemed healthy. Almost normal.

“I was incredibly lucky,” Angella said. “I often come to Mystacor at this time of year. The cool air feels nice on my skin. I was out shopping early in the morning, since I’m no good in crowds. My body is much too sore to keep up with the pace of it all during the midday. But as I was out, that storm suddenly dawned upon us. I was driving home through it when I saw them, laying on the ground. They were unconscious. I… I fear what may have happened if I hadn’t happened upon them sooner.”

“You saved them…” Catra spoke softly.

“They’re strong. I took them back home to my cabin here and kept them as warm as I could. I figured they’d might catch a cold or worse, but it took only an hour until they came into my room asking if they could build something with the snow. I suppose that’s youth. Nothing keeps them down,” Angella smiled, looking back at Finn once more. “They’ve been talking about you a lot.”

“Oh…” Catra responded. She looked at the floor. “I… Angella, I can’t thank you enough. I should’ve been better. I should’ve been looking after them. I’m so sorry. Please, is there any way I can repay you? You saved their life and…”

Angella simply held up a hand, a smile on her face as she gently silenced Catra. “… Would you be interested in sharing a cup of warm cocoa with me? You must’ve been out in that dreadful storm for quite some time if you walked all the way here. I’m simply thankful I found Finn when I did, and I ask for no repayment. I just simply want to talk.”

Catra looked at the older woman for a few seconds, and then at Finn once. She looked at the snow, and let out a soft sigh. “… Okay.”

Angella smiled, and turned around to head back for the cabin. The anxiety in Catra’s heart was festering as she wondered exactly what Finn told Angella. Was it bad? Good? Somewhere in between? Would Angella see her as a horrible person?

No answers would come. Not yet.

Catra entered the warm cabin, looking at the comfortable indoors. The wooden walls and creaking floorboards. The gentle roar of the fire that sent warmth throughout the home, and the kitchen of her dreams. It was almost like a cottage.

“This is a lovely place,” Catra observed, taking a seat in the kitchen as Angella mixed together a hot cup of cocoa. She took a second to look out the window at Finn, who was putting in the finer details into the snowmen.

“Isn’t it?” Angella replied, bringing over two mugs to the kitchen table. She placed one before Catra, the steam still rising from it. And yet, it wasn’t blistering hot. It warmed Catra’s hands, and the first sip tasted like marshmallows and honey. “I’ve been in retirement for a few years now, so I can visit this place more often. It’s quiet. At night, I love to look at the stars and listen to the river. I’ve even been trying to teach myself violin. I played a bit for Finn. It seems like they’re a fan of the music from John Denver.”

“You played them country music? God help us all,” Catra scoffed, taking another sip of the delicious cocoa. Angella looked at her for a few seconds, putting her hands around her own warm mug.

“… You’ve been crying. Haven’t you?” Angella asked, noting Catra’s puffy and tired eyes. Catra didn’t even feel ashamed about it.

“I… I found a toy of theirs buried in the snow. It made me think something had gone wrong…” Catra admitted, looking at her hot, steaming drink. “I was… I was so scared to lose them. My own kid… I… It fucking terrified me.”

“As it should any parent. Lord knows I freaked out when Glimmer used to sneak out without telling me,” Angella said, thinking back to those times. “You had every right to feel upset. I told Finn that what they did wasn’t very wise, and I think they already knew.”

“They’ll probably feel bad about it. I’ll have to talk to them soon,” Catra said. “But the thing is… I used to do the same. With my own mother. I ran away from her… A lot. I was always upset with her and angry and… I just couldn’t stand to be around her for any longer than a week.”

“Shadow Weaver, right?” Angella asked, and Catra nodded. “Finn told me she hurt you a lot.”

“She…” Catra hesitated for a few seconds. She wondered what the right words to say were. But they were simple. There was only one word to describe Shadow Weaver’s treatment. “… She abused me.”

“Oh, Catra…” Angella sighed, expressing her empathy.

“I… I always struggle with saying that word. Abuse. I mean… When people say abuse, it’s usually hitting or… So many horrible things… But Shadow Weaver rarely laid a finger on me. She just… The things she said… The way she treated me…” Catra shuddered, and Angella put a hand over hers.

“It’s alright. You don’t have to talk about it if it makes you uncomfortable,” Angella spoke in a soothing voice. Her wrinkly hand felt somewhat comforting. The touch of an actual mother, and not a monster.

“… I just… I feel like a faker when I say I’ve been abused. I don’t have the bruises to prove it… but the scars are there. And yet, I know a lot of people would just tell me to suck it up. I had it better off than most victims. It… It just hurts. Because maybe they’re right,” Catra said.

“She emotionally and mentally hurt you. The fact that you’re struggling to talk about this… It says a lot. And your experience isn’t invalid. You went through what no child should ever have to go through. No person should ever have to go through… I always dreaded hurting Glimmer in any way. I cannot begin to imagine what kind of parent would believe that hurting their own child is okay…” Angella spoke with a soft hint of venom in her voice.

“That’s the thing,” Catra spoke up. “I’m… I’m scared of hurting Finn. Like how Shadow Weaver hurt me. I don’t want my own child to grow up in an environment like that. And Adora is so wonderful… I thought that, if Finn grew attached to Adora and not me, it would spare them the hurt. That not knowing me… Would be safer. But… That just meant I became a stranger to them. And I think… I think that’s what hurt them the most. This distance between us…”

Angella simply listens. She understands when someone needs to vent. She let Catra talk and let it out.

“And… I think that’s why Finn ran. Because of the hurt I caused them… Fuck… I feel horrible. I was trying to avoid this, but… My fear led us to this situation. And they nearly died because of it. I… I can’t believe myself. I can’t…” Catra sighed. “I’m no better than Shadow Weaver.”

A silence followed. Catra couldn’t bring herself to look up. She didn’t want to do anything. The nearly empty mug no longer warmed her hands. Maybe Angella agreed with her. Catra’s self-loathing was justified, she felt.

“… I disagree.”

Angella spoke after about twenty seconds. Catra looked up to see her face, with narrow eyebrows and a concerned gaze. “Now, yes… I do think your distancing from Finn is what caused this hurt. That’s an unfortunate truth. You can’t take it back. I know well enough that the past never changes…”

Catra looked at Finn once more.

“… However,” Angella continued. “I disagree with your sentiment that you believe you are just as bad as Shadow Weaver. I only have a brief idea of your motherhood… But I find myself relating to you in many ways. Back when Glimmer was but a child and I was an anxious mess. Afraid of screwing up and hurting Glimmer in a way that I couldn’t take back. Catra… Do you think Shadow Weaver was ever afraid of hurting you?”

“I…” Catra was taken aback a bit at the question. But eventually, she shook her head. “… No. She probably thought a little bit of hurt was a good thing.”

“Already, this proves your difference. Catra, you just walked miles through a snowstorm. You carried Finn’s toy all throughout it. You took them ice skating. I’ve been hearing about your attempts to really, truly bond with them. They can’t stop raving about your pancakes and your ramen and your graduation video and your kind, understanding attitude. Finn has spoken so fondly of you. They smile when they talk about the things you’ve done together. Do you have any positive memories like that of you and Shadow Weaver?”

“Not at all,” Catra replied, her voice hoarse.

“Catra.” Angella put a hand over hers. “Look me in the eyes. I want you to listen to these words.”

Catra looked up. She saw Angella’s eyes. Years of wisdom, experience, mistakes, setbacks, pain, happiness, joy, love, beauty and life in those years. And she spoke.

“You are better than the one who abused you. You did not deserve what she did to you. You are so much stronger. You may have made mistakes… But you can rise, Catra. You can rise from the ashes. It’s not too late. The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now. You have the opportunity to be greater. Because now, as a mother, it is up to you to give Finn the childhood that not only they deserve, but you deserved as well.”

Catra stared with wide eyes into Angella’s. “I…” She tried to respond, but no words came.

“It’s alright. You don’t need to respond. I just want you to reflect on those words. It is so incredibly easy to focus on the parts of yourself that you dislike. But I ask of you to instead view those parts of yourself that have made you happy. The parts that have made Finn happy,” Angella said. “You may be surprised how many there are.”

Angella took her hands away from Catra. “… Thank you…” Catra spoke, her voice whimpering a bit.

“I think you should go talk with Finn. I’ll be practising my violin here in the meantime,” Angella smiled, taking Catra’s mug away. Catra looked up and out the window to see Finn smoothing out the last parts of the two snowmen.

A talk. It was what they needed.

Catra stood up, opening the door of the cabin and stepping out into the sunlight. It shined bright into her eyes, and she winced slightly, before fully embracing it. She stepped off the wooden porch outside the cabin, approaching Finn and their two snowmen.

It reminded Catra was Castle Mystacor. Of the many structures she had built, often in front of Shadow Weaver. And yet, she would never pay attention or compliment them. No matter how much work Catra put into the structures, Shadow Weaver barely spared them a glance.

But as Catra approached Finn, she spoke up. “Hey, kiddo. These are looking really, really good.”

Finn smiled at the kind words.

“Thanks,” they responded as Catra took a second to look at them from the front on. The taller snowman had bushy hair, a gentle smile, tired eyes and an apron. The smaller figure had similar hair, but a much brighter smile, and their eyes gazed up to the taller snowman. “It’s us,” Finn explained.

“You and me?” Catra asked.

“Uh-huh,” Finn beamed, nodding. Catra looked at the figures for a few seconds, before looking down at Finn.

“You’ve got a lot of talent. I’m proud of you, Finn,” Catra said, rubbing Finn’s hair.

But before long, Catra eventually took a knee before Finn, coming face-to-face with them as she let out a sigh. Finn’s smile faded as they realized what was going on. “… Am I in trouble?” They asked timidly.

“You’re not. I promise,” Catra said gently. “But you know what you did was dangerous, right?”

“I do,” Finn said. “I’m sorry. I was going to come back, but… Then I got lost. And I got scared. And… I…” Finn tried to explain their actions, but their voice began to break and a few sobs choked out. Catra immediately placed a gentle hand on their shoulder.

“Hey. I’m not mad,” Catra reassured them. “I was scared too. I really, really care about you, bud. I don’t want to lose you.”

“I was just sad,” Finn said, their lips wobbling slightly as tears began to well in their eyes. They sniffled, wiping their nose with their sleeve. “And I didn’t want to give my sadness to you…”

Catra’s eyes widened slightly as Finn begin to break down into tears. Out of instinct, she quickly wrapped her arms around Finn, holding her child close. “Finn… I’m… I’m so sorry. For all the hurt I’ve caused you. I’m sorry that I haven’t been the best mom I could’ve been. You are the light of my life. You deserve so much happiness, from both of your parents. I promise you I am going to do better. I promise I’m going to do my best to make you happy more often.”

Finn sniffled, and their hands came up to grip the back of Catra’s hair. They held each other. “You do make me happy…” Finn responded. “You make mom happy… You make DT happy… I just…” Finn sobbed again. “I wish you could make yourself happy… I wish I could make you happy… I try so hard but… I always get scared and I feel like you don’t want to talk to me and then I run away… And you’re sad because of me… It’s all my fault… I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”

“Finn, hey, hey, hey,” Catra spoke softly, holding them through their agonizing sobs. It was enough to bring tears to Catra’s eyes. She had to keep her voice steady. “It’s not your fault, bud. You make me so happy to be alive. You make mom happy too. You are an absolute angel and we never could’ve asked for a better child. You’re such an incredible kid. I was just scared of shutting down that light you have… But no more. I’m not going to let you down anymore. I’m not going to let myself down anymore. I’m going to smile for both of us, as long as you smile too, okay?”

“Are you sure…?” Finn asked. Catra backed off for a bit, and Finn finally saw the tears streaming down their mother’s cheeks. And yet, she was smiling. Catra held up a hand, and extended her pinky finger.

“Pinky promise. We’re both going to do our best from now on. And I’m not leaving here until you smile,” Catra said. Finn looked at Catra’s hand. They held out their own, extending their own little finger and wrapping it around their mother’s.

“Pinky promise,” they smiled. Catra let out a sigh of pure relief, before leaning in and pressing a kiss to Finn’s forehead.

“I love you, Finn.”

As Finn closed their eyes, they suddenly heard the sounds of music fill their ears. They looked up and pass Catra to see Angella standing on the porch outside the cabin, her violin pressed against her shoulder as she played a familiar tune from earlier.

Catra noticed the music too. “You want to stay and listen for a bit?” She asked Finn, and they nodded. Catra didn’t mind a short rest herself, either. She took a seat on the snowy ground, and plopped Finn on her lap, the two of them watching Angella’s little show, which was more of a practise session for her violin.

Angella looked at the two of them. Mother and child. And in a way, she saw herself. When Glimmer was younger. That same wonder in the child, and the deep, deep love that came from a parent. It was enough to bring nearly bring tears to her old eyes.

Finn felt lost in the music, slowly rocking from side to side in tune with it. Catra looked down at her child in her lap. Their joy. Their curiosity. And of course, the big smile on their face. Being a mother was nowhere near easy. And that fear was still in her heart somewhat.

But all of those hardships were worth it for moments like this.

* * *

As the train doors slid open, not only did Catra have to carry all of her luggage out, she also had to hold up her sleeping child in her arms.

It was a Friday afternoon, and after the week in Mystacor, Finn quickly crashed to sleep on the train ride home. They had their head on Catra’s arm the whole ride, and their soft snores were almost soothing to listen to.

Adora would’ve been returning home at around the same time as Catra. It was nearly eight-thirty at night and the weekend was upon them. But it had also been a week since Shadow Weaver’s death. And that was something stuck in Catra’s mind too.

However, the thought of Shadow Weaver no longer caused her anxiousness or misery. There was some nervousness, but she instead chose to view Shadow Weaver as an obstacle. A stepping stone in her journey towards a better life. Catra couldn’t change the past. But she could use Shadow Weaver as a way to leap forward into becoming someone better.

She ascended the stairs out of the train station, carrying Finn gently the whole way, along with their bags. Her car was still parked nearby the station, and she took the first chance she could to gently lay Finn in the back seat, letting them rest comfortably. They were heavy in sleep.

After everything that happened with Angella, she actually opted to allow Finn and Catra to stay for the week in her cabin. Catra taught Finn how to fish from the lake, as well as going on walks with them and building Castle Mystacor, version two. Finn preferred the more quiet side of things.

As Catra unpacked her things into the boot of the car, she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She pulled it out to see a text from Glimmer, finally responding after five hours.

 **SparkleSparklesss** : Thanks for letting me know about how my mom was doing. It’s nice that she’s enjoying her time in Mystacor. I’ll really have to pay her a visit soon.

Catra smiled at the text. She had suggested Glimmer see her mom when she could. Angella clearly missed her dearly, but at the same time, she had accepted Glimmer’s life and her choices. Glimmer became her own person.

As Catra turned the ignition in the car on and began to drive back home, her mind was consumed with a few thoughts. She remembered back to Adora’s graduation, where she felt small and miserable compared to the success of everyone else.

Perhaps Catra didn’t have the most grand job, or the most fancy house, or a future she had fully planned for. To some, maybe Catra looked like a failure. Never been to college, never gotten a diploma, and only just passed high school.

But when Catra listened to the gentle snores of her child in the back seat of her car, she realized she didn’t need those things to be happy. Life was beautiful for what it was. For what came naturally. The finer details. That’s what brought around joy.

The things like how the city looks at night, with all its neon signs and lights and life. The way the clouds are still visible in the moonlit sky. The way the car rumbled quietly as it went along. The way the puddles on the pavement reflected the world. Catra noticed these things more. It made her smile a bit more.

The little things added up.

Once she arrived home and pulled into the garage, she noticed Adora’s car out front. She was already home. But first, there was a certain tired tough pancake that needed to be put to bed. Catra hopped out of the car, grabbing Finn gently from the back seat and walking slowly with them in her arms.

She opened the front door, walking upstairs and rocking Finn gently in their sleep. The house was a bit more clean, no doubt thanks to Adora. It had that smell that Catra loved. No other place like home could capture that smell.

The bedroom was on the first door to the left once she reached the top of the stairs. Catra stepped into Finn’s room, smiling down at them as she laid them in their bed. As Finn sunk into the softness, their eyes parted slightly, their consciousness barely there.

“Good night, kiddo,” Catra said to them. They could hear the words, and they could feel Catra’s lips against their forehead as she laid a gentle kiss. As Catra wrapped the sheet around them and went to close the door, they only had one last thing to say.

“Um…” They spoke out, stopping Catra in her path. She looked down at the sleepy Finn from the doorway. The light of the hallway behind her. And Finn spoke only a few words.

“I love you… Mom.”

Catra let out a sharp sigh. She kept herself stable for a bit. “I love you too, Finn.”

And with that, Finn slowly closed their eyes again, and fell back into the land of sleep. Catra closed the door, and pressed her back against it. She let out a few sharp breaths, the smile on her face growing wider as her nose tickled with emotion.

A few tears stained her cheeks and a few choked sobs sounded. And upon hearing the sobs, Adora emerged from their own bedroom to check on her wife.

Adora was concerned at first. Catra sobbing was never a good sign. But when she saw Catra’s beaming smile, she knew that these were good tears. Catra looked up at her with the biggest smile she had worn in… Well, in years.

“So… Was it a good week?” Adora asked as Catra approached her. Catra raised her hands, cupping Adora’s cheeks. They both smiled. They both shared joy and love. And for a second, the spark of their fresh high school love flickered once more. It was like their second kiss all over again.

“I love you so much,” Catra said.

“I love you too. And I’m so… so proud of you,” Adora replied.

And when their lips pressed against each other, Catra finally felt fully at home. The warmth in her heart that was long gone slowly came back. She loved Finn. She loved Adora.

And she was beginning to love herself a bit more, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading. We have one more epilogue chapter to go before the end of Droplets.
> 
> I just want to make a quick note: You can now follow my Twitter at @thepudzoutlook1, where I'll be posting story updates, informing of any potential delays, teasers of upcoming stories, and future plans. If you like to follow my work, I recommend it! Thank you all in advance!


	12. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora and Catra receive a surprise at the Bright Moon Academy Festival.

For the first time in a while, Catra woke up with her arms wrapped tight around her wife.

Two weeks since the trip to Mystacor. One week since she had quit her job at the factory. Catra had gotten the most sleep she had in years, and she felt more refreshed than ever before. She looked up to see Adora on her phone, not daring to move with a sleeping wife holding her close.

“Morning, wifey,” Catra spoke in a low voice, moving up and giving Adora a quick kiss on the lips, to which she returned. “How long have you been up for?”

“Only a couple of minutes. You were out cold though,” Adora smiled, brushing her hand through Catra’s hair. “I’m really glad you quit that old job of yours.”

“I just hope it was worth it,” Catra replied, resting her chin on Adora’s chest. “I’m still waiting to get an email back. Whole thing is giving me anxiety.”

“I’m sure you’ll be fine,” Adora replied, pushing her lips to the top of Catra’s head. “Best not to dwell too much on it, alright? We’ve got more important plans today.”

“I know, I know. The festival at Bright Moon Academy,” Catra smirked. Adora had only mentioned it a hundred times. It was a festival at their old high school, mixed somewhat with a reunion of their graduation class. All of this meant they might be able to catch up with some long-lost friends.

And Finn was excited for it too.

“Think you can let me up now so I can take a shower?” Adora asked, but Catra only held her closer.

“No. You’re staying here forever,” she spoke, but only a few seconds after, she let Adora go. Adora chuckled, before swinging her legs over the side of the bed and standing up, walking over towards the bathroom. Catra rubbed her eyes, before looking up to the curtain-covered window.

She stood up, walked over, and opened the curtain to reveal the sunny day before herself. The beautiful blue sky without a cloud in sight. Some groups of teens biking on the sidewalk, and some families mowing their lawn or washing their cars. Catra liked to look out the window every morning. Get a sense of the day and a reminder of this beauty.

She went to grab her own phone, and atop the notification list was an email sent at some point during the night. Immediately, her heartrate spiked. It was an email from the company she had been waiting for. An email she desperately needed in the last week.

But she didn’t wait to open it. She didn’t fall victim to fear. She tapped on the notification immediately, and read through the message.

Adora was running her hands through her long, golden hair in the shower when the bathroom door suddenly burst open, her wife storming in with the biggest smile on her face. “I GOT THE TRUCK!” Catra suddenly yelled, slightly startling Adora.

“Y… You did?!” Adora asked, opening the shower door, not caring about her naked form and soaked body as she read the email on Catra’s phone.

Catra had been granted a food truck. A new job opportunity to sell whatever food item she wanted at a nearby beach. It was a job that involved a lot of cooking, but on good days, a lot of pay. A job in cooking was exactly what Catra wanted, and with this food truck, that dream had come true.

“I fucking did it!” Catra called out, not even caring that her child was in a nearby bedroom.

“You fucking did it!” Adora cheered, wrapping her arms around her wife and holding her close. Catra couldn’t get the wide smile off her face.

Maybe it wasn’t the most glamorous job. Maybe it would be stressful at points. But being able to get a job doing what she loved, at a rate she could manage herself, was a bliss for Catra. It was a job she knew was going to make her happy, more than anything.

“I’m so proud of you!” Adora laid a kiss on Catra’s forehead.

“I’m proud of myself!” Catra chuckled, still reading the email over and over again. “Finn will probably love the idea of this.”

“You should probably go downstairs and tell them yourself,” Adora smiled. “They love your cooking. They’ll be overjoyed to hear it.”

“I’ll make us celebratory pancakes, alright?” Catra replied, leaving Adora to her shower. Her heart felt like it was doing a dance of joy. She’d need to pick up the truck tomorrow and clean it out, but once she had it, she’d be on the road with her cooking.

It might even get her noticed enough to go for a higher position, like a restaurant. But that was but a dream for now. For now.

As Catra descended downstairs, she expected to see her child, sitting in their dinosaur pyjamas and wondering what the word ‘fuck’ meant. But instead, the chairs were empty in the kitchen, and all there was on the table was an envelope and a polaroid picture.

Catra raised an eyebrow, and when she went to check the picture, she saw it was a selfie of Double Trouble and Finn, both with cheeky smiles on their faces. The envelope contained a simple message.

‘Come find us at the festival today! We have a surprise for you!’

Catra couldn’t help but scoff. “What’s that you’ve got there?” Adora asked as she descended downstairs, noticing the letter and picture in Catra’s hands.

“It seems like DT has kidnapped our child,” Catra said jokingly, holding up the picture. “The two of them have been planning something behind our backs, I suppose. Says they’ll be at the school festival today.”

“Finn’s a little rascal sometimes,” Adora shook her head, tying her hair into a ponytail. “Well… I guess that means we’ll have to skip breakfast to go save our kid. The festival starts in about fifteen minutes, so I guess we should head out now?”

“That sounds like a plan,” Catra said, grabbing her phone, wallet and housekeys. She also went to go grab her car keys, but as she did, she noticed something leaning on the wall nearby the front door.

Two sets of skateboards.

The first one was from her time when Adora was in university. The other was a Christmas gift from Bow and Glimmer a few years back. Both of them were still in pretty good shape. They always sat there, but today, they stuck out a bit more. It’s like they wanted to steal Catra’s eyes.

And they succeeded.

As Adora grabbed her things, she suddenly looked up to see Catra holding out a skateboard in front of her. “Think you can keep up with me on the way there?” Catra asked with a teasing smirk.

“We’re… Not taking the car?” Adora asked.

“It’s a beautiful day. Plus, it’s not like the school is terribly far away. I know a few shortcuts,” Catra shrugged. Adora noticed her wording. Catra never talked about how beautiful the day was. Not until recently. But ever since that trip to Mystacor, Catra had been distracted by the little things in life. The lovely things that were all around her, that she was now focusing on more often.

It made Adora happy to see her wife in such a positive state. And so, she accepted the offer, taking Catra’s skateboard. “I’ll have you know that I’m considered one of the ‘cool teachers’ and beating my own wife at a skateboard race will just boost my cool status even further. So… Go easy on me?”

“I’ll think about it,” Catra said.

Adora wasn’t a fan of that response. And so, she immediately sprinted out the door to get a head-start.

“Wha… Hey, that’s cheating! I didn’t say you could go now!” Catra laughed, following behind Adora after a small delay, being sure to lock the front door before throwing her board down in front of her and boosting towards her wife, who was already many feet ahead. “Wait up!”

“I’ll think about it!” Adora replied. Catra couldn’t believe her. But they both smiled throughout it. Even though they were adults, they still needed time to just chill like this. It reminded them of the days back in high school.

They felt the wind on their faces. And they sped down towards their old high school.

* * *

Of course, by the end of it all, Catra had beaten Adora by a solid two minutes.

It had been years since she properly skated, but she never lost the charm for it. As she watched Adora finally catch up, she had to do everything to hide her grin. “You doing okay?” Catra asked.

“Don’t pity me…” Adora panted. Catra laughed as Adora placed her board on the wall next to Catra’s. “I told you to go easy…”

“And I told you I’d think about it,” Catra smiled, holding out a hand. Adora looked up to see her wife with an extended hand. A bright smile on her face.

She could never refuse an offer like that.

She took Catra’s hand, intertwining her fingers with her wife. It would be the first time she’d been with her wife on school grounds, but Adora talked about her a lot anyway. All of her students loved hearing about stories of their marriage, even if it was mostly so they could get out of doing work.

As Adora and Catra stepped into the school grounds, they took a second to look around at the festival. Each building was decorated in some sort of theme, whether it was a café, a games tent, or face-painting. There were many students running the stalls and roaming throughout the grounds, but there were also a few adults. Old graduates.

Catra looked to the left and instantly spotted the athletics track as she walked. The same one she cheered Adora on when she won the 800 metre race. The same one they declared that they would take a stand against Shadow Weaver. It looked the same as always.

Some of the buildings had changed around, and a few had been added. Adora was even greeting a few kids as she walked with her wife, no doubt students from her class. But even with all of these new things, this place still felt familiar to Catra.

It had a sense of nostalgia throughout it. Memories flooding no matter where she walked. The times where she was nervous to come here, and the times where she needed it just to be with her friends. It filled her heart with a heavy sense of belonging. A sense of home.

And suddenly, Catra’s vision went dark.

“Hey, you two,” a sudden voice spoke as a pair of hands covered Catra’s eyes.

“Recognize us?” Another voice spoke as they covered Adora’s eyes as well.

But it didn’t even take a second.

“Bow… Glimmer…” Catra took a breath. “Why are you covering our eyes like you’re kidnapping us?”

“Maybe because we are,” Glimmer replied with an evil snicker.

“Glimmer, I can tell you’re on the tips of your toes just to get your hands over my eyes,” Adora scoffed. Glimmer had no response for that.

“We just have a small surprise for you. Just keep walking forward. We’ll make sure you won’t run into walls,” Bow reassured. “… Probably.”

Their voices had changed a bit. But it was still recognizable. For Adora, she could never forget them. Even after all these years, these two were still her closest friends from growing up. Life had separated them, but they were still dear to each other.

They kept walking forward, but eventually, they took a turn towards the left, heading into a quiet room. “Wait, Adora, what if they’re actually kidnapping us?” Catra asked, her eyes still covered.

“Well… Finn always wanted to be a superhero. Maybe this could be their origin story?” Adora suggested. Catra actually liked the sound of that. But eventually, she and Adora were stopped.

Glimmer counted down from three. And eventually, she and Bow uncovered Adora and Catra’s eyes.

Catra squinted at the sudden light. But when she was able to look ahead, she felt completely frozen in place.

The room they were in was the Pride Club.

The walls were still covered in rainbow flags. The closet with the list of members was still there. Perfuma’s flowers sprinkled over the windows. And of course, the room was filled with old members. Double Trouble, Huntara, Perfuma, Bow, Castaspella.

Even Angella had made it. Glimmer had brought her along to greet the two of them once again.

But, most importantly, Finn was there. Standing proudly to a table that held up a large, rainbow cake with writing on top. The cake was clearly made by them, as it tilted a bit to one side and some of the frosting was a bit wonky. But the writing was clear.

‘Happy Mother’s Day’.

Adora and Catra couldn’t believe they had forgotten.

“Finn?” Adora gasped, putting a hand over her heart. “Did you… Did you plan this for us?”

“Uh-huh! Me and DT!” Finn beamed, wrapping their arms around Double Trouble’s leg.

“I managed to get as much people as I could from the old club,” Double Trouble smiled. “I always wanted a reunion at some point, but… I also wanted to do something for you two. This is your day, after all.”

“And I also needed to thank Catra,” Glimmer spoke up. “I… I haven’t talked to my mom in a while. But thanks to you, I got in contact with her fully. I really appreciate what you’ve done for us,” Glimmer said to Catra, who was still processing all this.

“I guess… This is just our way of thanking and congratulating you two,” Double Trouble said. “You’ve both come a long way and your love is something we really admire. But more than that, you two are always in our thoughts. There’s been a few rough patches… But we’re proud of you. So… Happy Mother’s Day to you both.”

“And thank you for being the best moms ever,” Finn finished.

Catra looked down at her kid. To all the people in that room. The people she had grown to know and love. Even though they were separated for so long, they had come back for this. Even through everything, they still loved Catra.

The tickling sensation in her nose and the tightening of her throat was a familiar feeling to Catra. And it didn’t take long for the first tear to fall. Her wobbling lips gave way to a few sobs, even as she tried to wipe away her tears with the back of her hands.

All other noise drowned out. She knew this would look bad. But they were not tears of misery. They were not tears of sorrow. They were the happiest tears she had shed in a long while. This room meant everything to her. The people here meant everything to her.

She thought back eleven years to walking into that classroom. Seeing all those looks, and most of all, seeing Adora for the first time. That awkward girl who couldn’t stop staring. The same girl who accepted her into her home and protected her from the rain. The same girl she fell in love with.

Catra couldn’t stop crying. Everything that had happened over the last decade led up to this moment. Even through the hardships, she was still here. Despite everything, she was still Catra.

And then, a warm feeling on her hand.

She looked up through her teary eyes and saw Adora’s smile. The gentle smile she had grown to love so much. Adora held Catra’s hand, knowing how overwhelming this all was. And she also held Finn in her other arm, hoisting them up to be face level with their parents.

Adora and Finn. Her family. Her life. Her future.

“Are you okay?” Adora asked, squeezing Catra’s hand gently. Catra wiped her eyes and sniffled.

“Okay?” Catra returned with a laugh. She closed her eyes and put on a bright smile, even through the tears. She pressed her forehead gently against Adora’s, and Finn joined in, their face close with their moms. This family, close together, all with similar smiles. 

“I’m more than okay. I’m happy, Adora.”

The droplets joined together in the race. Collecting. Growing bigger. Even though there were difficult moments, it kept moving forward. Time never stopped. But there were always those moments where the droplets could simply look and see this beautiful world.

No matter how much time sped by, the world was still there.

This imperfect thing called life can contain hurt and sadness. Catra had her fair share. But through it all, she pushed forward. For Adora. For Finn. And now, for herself. These tears can be shed, and there was nothing wrong with shedding them. But once they were gone, all that waited was a future with her family. With the ones she loved the most.

And so, the droplet of a tear fell from Catra’s cheek.

And hit the ground with a plop.

* * *

_The End._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 123,000 words.
> 
> 24 chapters.
> 
> Nearly 5 months. 
> 
> That's how much this series has been. What started in my notes as 'Simple High School AU' has evolved into this. A series that means a lot to me personally. 
> 
> I mentioned in the Author's Notes on the last chapter of Droplets 1 that Catra's experience of abuse came from a personal place. This story was no different. Catra's self-loathing, trauma and misery that she had gained from the abuse mirrored me, even at the current moment. This story was tremendously hard to write at points because of it. I practically spilt my anxieties out to you all. My fear of the future. 
> 
> But at the same time, writing these fics was a way of self-care. A way of telling myself these positive messages that have come with the story. But it's also self-care because I know, when I post these stories, I have the most lovely group of readers, eager to share their thoughts and kindness with me. You all inspire me. You all make me happy to write. No amount of words will ever be able to express my gratitude and love to you. 
> 
> Unfortunately, this is THE end of Droplets. I do not have any plans for further sequels, nor do I think I'm going to make any. I am completely happy with this ending. There MAY be some one-shots down the line, but that's only a small possibility. I hope you all understand <3
> 
> I'll be responding to reviews as always, and I'll be posting a lengthy comment detailing my thinking behind this story, and how it responds to the anime that inspired it (Which, some of you might have guessed, was Clannad: After Story). You don't have to read it unless you're interested in that stuff. I'm just thankful to all of you for giving me the time and chance to tell you this story.
> 
> I do have some fics planned down the line, but first, I need a break! if you want to see my future story updates and plans (as well as just my general gay thoughts), follow my Twitter, @thepudzoutlook1. Until then, please have a lovely day/night. You deserve the world and I love you.


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